Separate Worlds
by TedandVic4ever
Summary: When Victoire moves to France, everything changes. But after a series of choices, they meet again years later, as strangers. Unbeknownst to each other, they are the same best friends who grew up together. What will happen when they finally realize?
1. Pretentious First Kiss

**Disclaimer: JK Rowling owns Harry Potter.**

**Chapter 1 **

Growing up without parents was a tough thing to do for seven year old, and no one knew it better then Teddy Lupin, well maybe except his godfather, the legendary Harry Potter. Luckily for Teddy, he had the support of his extended family in the form of the Potters and Weasleys. And unlike his godfather, who didn't have any friends until he was allowed to go to Hogwarts at the age of eleven, Teddy had a head start. This came in the form of a bubbly girl named Victoire Weasley. Ever since Teddy could remember, Victoire had been his best friend, his playmate, and his secret holder. Little did he know, she would also be something else to him, but that's for a later time.

Teddy often spent his time at the burrow, playing games with Victoire. Playing pretend was one of their top games; mostly because Victoire enjoyed it. Their favorite imitations would be of the Golden Trio, fighting their way against the Death Eaters and Voldemort. From a young age, Teddy and Victoire learned of their families heroic past and they were not afraid to flaunt it every now and then. Being the only girl in the Trio, Hermione was the obvious choice for Victoire to pose as. However, since their Trio was lacking one member, Teddy would often switch appearances with his metamorphmagus powers between Harry and Ron.

The funny thing about Victoire was that she didn't understand that they were only pretending and they weren't suppose to imitate every single thing that happened. Especially not the mushy stuff that went on between her Aunt Hermione and Uncle Ron; Teddy found that out the hard way. One day while they were reenacting a scene as Ron and Hermione, Teddy suddenly found himself being kissed by Victoire. His cheeks were immediately brightened as he pushed Victoire off of him.

"What are you doing Vic?" Teddy asked with a gaping mouth.

"Teddy, I'm not Vic remember? I'm pretending to be Aunt Hermione and you're suppose to be Uncle Ron," Victoire said as she folded her arms to her chest. The five year old didn't know what the problem was and frankly, she was upset that her friend stepped out of character.

Teddy shook his head with shock and again, asked his question, "But why did you kiss me?" His face was still red from Victoire's surprise kiss.

Victoire rolled her eyes with a state of oblivion, "Aunt Hermione always kisses Uncle Ron, so why shouldn't I kiss you?"

At this point, the two of them were getting nowhere, but that didn't really matter because at that moment, Ginny had walked out the front door. When she observed the scene that was taking place, she wondered over to the pair and kneeled down to their eye level.

"What's wrong Victoire?" Ginny asked as she placed a hand on her niece's back. She was worried that their game of pretend had gotten rough as it sometimes would. She then looked at her godson's face and noticed the stunning red hue emitting from his cheeks.

"Aunt Ginny, do Aunt Hermione and Uncle Ron kiss?" Victoire asked in a challenging voice as she continued to stare at Teddy.

Ginny wondered what her niece was getting at and although she really shouldn't be telling a five year old the ins and outs of her brother's relationship, she couldn't help herself. "Of course, they love each other. Just like your Mum and Dad," Ginny answered smiling.

Victoire instantly stuck her tongue out at Teddy, "I told you so Teddy!" She looked quite proud of herself for proving to her best friend that he had been wrong to ruin their game to a simple thing as a kiss.

Ginny finally placed two and two together; when she figured out what was wrong, she started laughing, grabbing her stomach as she struggled to keep her balance. She soon fell over on the ground and the two children looked at Ginny with confusion. Ginny eventually managed to calm her laughter and remembered why she was outside in the first place, to bring the children inside for dinner.

* * *

Teddy currently sat at the couch watching his godmother curiously as she chatted with all the other females in the family. Ginny had whispered something between the group and they all immediately erupted with laughter. He didn't think much of it until each of them started throwing glances at Teddy with a coy smile. Teddy was about to confront his godmother when Victoire stepped in.

"Teddy?" Victoire asked in a shy voice.

Teddy looked down at Victoire and noticed her father standing next to her, pushing her to say something. "Yeah?" Teddy asked as he stuffed his hands into his pockets.

Victoire hesitated but her father gave her another nudge before she blurted out, "I'm sorry for kissing you."

Teddy was about to forgive his friend but the girl didn't know when to shut her mouth. "But just so you know, I still think I'm right. We were playing pretend and Aunt Hermione is suppose to kiss Uncle Ron," Victoire said with a tone of confidence and a pitch that was a little too high for Teddy's liking because soon, everyone in the room stared at the two kids. The next second, Teddy could hear Ginny laughing again from the kitchen, and this time with all the other females laughing as well. He noticed Ron blushing from the side but all Teddy could think about was how humiliated he was. But as always, there was no fighting with Victoire Weasley, she was a firecracker and had the appearance and attitude to match it.

At five years old, Victoire had a mind of her own, she wasn't afraid to challenge those who were older or bigger then her, which often led to many unnecessary disputes. Her blonde hair draped over her face and icy blue eyes provided a feel of self-importance. And it certainly didn't help that she had a veela temper, much like her mother's. Victoire wasn't an ordinary girl, no; she was a force to be reckoned with; which wasn't news to her best friend Teddy.

Many could say that Teddy was the exact opposite of Victoire; he was patient and passive when it came to minor issues. That's not to say that Teddy didn't know how to stand up for himself, just that he didn't go looking for fights when they hadn't come to him. His indigo hair, almost the shade of black, contrasted greatly with her bright blonde hair and while her icy blue eyes could instill fear in foes twice her age and size, his honey brown eyes brought warmth to onlookers. However, even though many claim that Teddy and Victoire were polar opposites, they complemented each other to the fullest.

And currently, Teddy decided that this situation was just one of those lost causes. Victoire would stand her ground and although her argument was valid, it seemed only Teddy realized the awkwardness that it provided. Kissing was supposed to be an intimate act that should only be performed between two grownups that loved each other, not between two best friends.


	2. Leaving You Behind

******A/N: Just a heads up, keep a french translator near you, I included a few sentences and words here and there in French because let's face it, I can't make it through the story without it if Victoire's living in France. They are pretty basic words or things you will most probably understand from the context but if you are one of those people who has to know every single word written then I suggest you have Google Translate or some other translator open.  
**

******Disclaimer: JK Rowling owns Harry Potter.**

**Chapter 2 **

Teddy sat staring out the window of the burrow, watching Bill lugging suitcases into the ministry cars one by one with Harry and the other Weasley men. As the hand on the clock ticked, the time drew nearer and nearer for Victoire to leave him. Harry had told Teddy last month that Bill and his family were planning to move to France. Victoire's grandparents had sadly passed and the large Delacour estate was left to Fleur and with their family expanding, Fleur decided it would be nice for them to reside in France for a few years. Bill had also sent in a transfer to work there so the whole family was set. But this only meant one thing to Teddy, that Victoire would now be living far away from him.

Teddy remembered the day where a tearful Victoire had visited him upon learning of her family's move to France. The eight year old was crying and wouldn't let Teddy go the whole day. And Teddy didn't let Victoire out of his sight either. For the next week, Victoire insisted on staying over at her Uncle Harry's house with Teddy and her parents allowed it. However, when the week had came to an end, Victoire still refused to go home. It was a big struggle to get Victoire into the fireplace. But the fight was easily settled when Fleur started getting a temper and despite having a veela temper of her own, Victoire was no match for her mother.

Over the past three weeks, Teddy and Victoire had both learned to except that their friendship would have to survive on owl mailings and occasional visits. Today was the moment of truth; Teddy sighed as he saw that the cars were finally filled with the suitcases. Teddy's thoughts were interrupted by someone standing at the door.

"Teddy? Are you alright dear?" Ginny asked warily. She had watched her godson go through denial for the past month. Ginny knew the feeling, she was separated from Harry for a year during the war, although it was much worst since she knew that she wanted to be with him. To have grown up with that person and lose that person in a blink of an eye was harsh and as much as Ginny wanted to shield the boy she considered her own son, it was something she couldn't help.

Teddy only nodded as he continued staring out the window. Everyone was marching back into the house and was getting ready to have their last meal together. And then they would be off. He turned around and started walking towards the door but before he could make it out into the hall, Ginny stopped him.

"You know, you'll always be her friend. And as long as you remember her, she'll always be right here with you," Ginny said as she place her palm over Teddy's heart. Teddy nodded but was no longer able to keep his emotions in check and cried into Ginny's arms.

"I wish she could stay here with us," Teddy said. Ginny nodded and rubbed his back before standing up and leading him into the living room. When Teddy saw Victoire sitting on the couch crying to her mother's arm, he instantly straightened up. When Fleur saw Teddy approaching, she whispered something to Victoire before standing up to leave with Ginny. This left the two friends alone in the living room.

Teddy walked over to the couch before he stood in front of her. He casually placed his hands into his pockets and rocked himself on the ball of his heels, waiting for Victoire to compose herself. When Victoire finally pulled herself together, she jumped off the couch and gave Teddy a massive hug, catching even Teddy off guard. But his arms easily found their way around her waist and he pulled her in for a tighter hug.

"You know Vic, Ginny said that as long as I remember you, then you'll always be with me. So if we both remember each other, then it'll be like we're together, you know?" Teddy whispered. This seemed to have calmed Victoire considerably; she pulled herself off of Teddy and looked at him with her bright blue eyes.

"You promise Teddy?" Victoire asked, seemingly skeptical of her friend's statement. When Teddy smiled and nodded, the sides of her mouth began curling up.

"Good, because I wasn't crying about leaving you Teddy. Something was in my eye," Victoire began. Teddy couldn't help but laugh at Victoire's constant need of acting strong even when she wasn't.

When the meal was finally finished, all of the family gathered around Bill and Fleur outside, saying their last goodbyes. Nobody had witnessed the scene between the two long time friends who stood by the shed. Victoire had returned to crying as Teddy hugged her and although Teddy felt tears welling up, he stood strong for Victoire. Bill finally called for his eldest daughter while Fleur placed Dominique into the back seat.

Victoire reluctantly released Teddy and whispered a low goodbye to Teddy. But before she met her awaiting father, she planted a kiss on Teddy, much to his surprise. Victoire didn't allow Teddy respond because the next minute, she was off. Before Teddy could realize that Victoire was taking off, he ran towards the car. And when it started moving, Teddy ran after it, as fast as his short legs permitted him to.

"Bye Vic!" Teddy yelled as he waved to the car which had now flown into the sky. Teddy watched until the car disappeared into the sunset and let his arm fall but not before reaching for his lips. This time, Teddy hadn't mind Victoire's surprise kiss.

_**Victoire's POV**_

Victoire hadn't realized that she was in France. She had fallen asleep in the car during their long trip and it wasn't until her father had carried her onto her new bed that she finally woke up. The room was more grand then her old room at Shell Cottage and in Victoire's opinion, far less welcoming. It didn't suit her at all, the walls were far too fancy and the bed was too big. She preferred her small, cozy room that overlooked the beautiful ocean; she would miss waking up to the salty breeze and the tranquil tides the ocean provided. It was home and her current living arrangement was anything but home.

Victoire didn't have to wait long to hear from Teddy, in fact, that night, an owl pecked at her bedroom window. It didn't take long for Victoire to let the owl in. She wasn't sleepy at all and quite frankly, wasn't sure if she would ever get use to the feeling of her new room. Victoire excitedly ripped open the letter as soon as she saw that it was from Teddy. And after reading the only words she really needed to see, "_You're my best friend and I will always remember you_," he had wrote, Victoire was finally able to fall asleep.

Over the next few months, without even knowing it, Teddy had helped Victoire settle in to her new residence just by sending a letter to her each night, signing with the same ten words that comforted Victoire's nerves. And as much as Victoire wanted to deny it, she loved living in France. The city that they actually resided in was called Bordeaux. Within the few months, Victoire had become accustomed to the French cuisine as well as their mannerisms. She was even starting to develop a slight accent much to her mother's delight.

However, the hardest part was finding a companion to play with her, Teddy had come to visit her once but it wasn't enough. And although she believed that no one would ever fill Teddy's shoes, she still wanted a friend to play with on a regular basis, especially since her little sister was still too young. One day, after visiting the markets with her mother, she came home to a young boy waiting by their front door. He looked around her age and he was holding some sort of basket.

"Bonjour, comment puis-je vous aider chère?" Fleur greeted the boy. Victoire was surprised at how easily speaking and understanding French had come to her. Sure, her mother would speak to her in French to encourage bilingualism when she was younger, but Victoire spent most of her time with Teddy. And Teddy definitely didn't understand French. She remembered once, she tried teaching Teddy French but the boy soon lost interest and they ended up getting ice cream instead. That was one thing Teddy always loved, ice cream.

The boy held out the basket and up close, it held revealed its contents to be of madeleines, a pastry that was common in France. "Bonjour Madame Delacour, ma mère cuit ces derniers pour votre famille," the boy responded. Victoire giggled when she heard the boy call her mother Mrs. Delacour, he mother hadn't been called that since before her marriage to her father. The boy however, didn't think it was so humorous and gave Victoire a dirty look.

Fleur didn't seem to notice the silent exchange between her daughter and the boy and proceeded to telling him that she was no longer a Delacour but was now a Weasley. The boy frowned upon hearing the foreign name as if it was insulting for a French woman to marry anyone who wasn't French but abided. Their conversation was short lived; he had to get back but Fleur made him promise to visit them soon. Victoire had found out that his name was Leon and he was nine, just one year older then her.

Leon's name was mentioned once again during dinner when her mother excitedly told her father of their neighbor. Victoire didn't care much for the conversation until she heard her mother suggest that Victoire should become friends with Leon and that she had conversed with Leon's mother to have him over tomorrow.

"I don't want to be friends with him!" Victoire yelled. The room fell silent; Bill and Fleur's attention was immediately turned to their eldest daughter. The silence was soon dissipated by Dominique's cries and Fleur rushed out of the dinning room to attend to her youngest daughter. This left Victoire and her father to discussed her current opinion of the neighbors' boy.

"Why don't you want to be friends with Leon, Vic?" Bill asked patiently. After being married to a woman with veela blood for over twenty years, Bill had plenty of experience dealing with their tempers. This was also something Victoire had inherited and he certainly wasn't about to provoke a tantrum out of her.

Victoire flicked her peas around with her fork before looking up to face her father. "I don't like him," she said in a matter of fact tone. "He didn't like it when Maman told him she was married to an English man," she finished.

To Victoire's surprise, her father wasn't mad, in fact, he was laughing. This was one reaction she wasn't expecting and she didn't like it that her father thought it was funny that Leon had belittled her family. "Daddy!" Victoire yelled in an attempt to regain her father's attention.

Bill eventually managed to quell his laughter and looked at his daughter lovingly. "Sorry about that sweetie," he started. Bill stood up from his chair and walked over to Victoire's chair and pulled it sideways so she could face him. "Honey, you don't need to worry about me. And besides, I'm sure he was just intimidated by you. But I really think it would be good if you made a friend while we're living here," Bill said as he placed his hand on her knee.

Victoire nodded and by the time the father and daughter conversation was over, Fleur had returned. "Did I miss somezing?" she asked as she watched her husband and daughter curiously. She was still worried about her daughter's outburst but soon realized that her husband seemed to have settled the matter without her.

After dinner, Victoire felt like she had to tell someone about Leon. Her parents might have liked the idea of Leon being her friend but Victoire was still hesitant. Possibly because she felt like in some way, she was betraying Teddy by replacing him with someone else. She assured herself that Teddy would know just what to say and that he would agree with her that Leon had crossed the line about the English tidbit. She quickly scribbled down a note and sent it off with her owl Doré. Victoire had received Doré as a gift from her parents when she first arrived in France. It was a given that she would be writing many letters to Teddy so her parents thought it would be easier if Victoire had her own owl. Doré was a small owl with an unusually large amount of golden feathers, and Victoire thought it would be appropriate to name him just that.

The next day, Victoire waited by the window for Teddy's response but was soon pulled away from her waiting as she heard her mother calling her from downstairs. Victoire idly hopped off of her window seat and trooped downstairs where she saw Leon standing with a brooding look. Victoire immediately frowned but her mother insisted she come downstairs to meet Leon.

"Victoire, come 'ere" Fleur instructed. "Zis iz Leon, you 'ave met him yesterday, non?" Fleur said as she pulled the two children together until they were facing each other. Up close, Victoire noticed that Leon's hair wasn't blond as she initially thought; it was actually closer to a bronze color. His eyes were light green, so light that if you didn't look at it up close, you could have easily mistaken them to be blue. He was also a good five inches taller then her, but it didn't bother her, size never intimidated Victoire. His face had an air of aristocracy, which Victoire was beginning to realize was a common thing among French men.

Leon held out his hand, "I'm Leon Portier. My family and I live next door." Victoire reluctantly raised her hand to meet his and when she finally shook it, she realized that he was actually pretty nervous. She felt a slight tremble from his hands which were also a bit sweaty. Victoire didn't know why but she found this a bit endearing, as much as Leon tried to sound robust, his body betrayed him. She immediately found herself warming up to him, "I'm Victoire Weasley."

That afternoon, Victoire had learned a lot about Leon, she discovered that he wasn't as cold as she initially thought he was. She also found out that Leon knew her grandparents and that his grandparents had been close acquaintances with hers and he was often invited over for dinner with his family. And fortunately, Leon was fluent in English, although he preferred to converse in French. Victoire learned that Leon also had a sibling, his older brother Jean who was currently in his sixth year studying at Beauxbatons. And as soon as Victoire learned of this, she immediately started bombarding Leon with questions of the school she was to attend in three years.

By the time Leon had gone home, Victoire's mind was filled with thoughts about attending Beauxbatons. If someone had asked her how she felt about attending Beauxbatons when she first moved to France, she would have stuck her tongue at them left the room, but now, she honestly couldn't wait. She finally came to when she heard Doré pecking at her window. The owl fluttered in and held out its leg out for her and Victoire proceeded to retrieving the letter before offering him a treat.

She was excited to hear back from Teddy, even though her opinion of Leon had changed, Victoire always welcomed a letter from Teddy. Much to her delight, Teddy had disagreed with her and liked the idea of Victoire befriending someone her age. And as always, he ended the letter with the same ten words that carried Victoire through her days. Even though it no longer held the same weight as it did when she first moved to France and needed to hear those words, Victoire would never get tired of hearing it. "_You're my best friend and I will always remember you_."


	3. Returning the Favor

******A/N: Pottermore is now open! Finally got on today. Feel free to add me, my name is elmholly12007. And guess what, I got sorted into Slytherin! Couldn't believe it at first but now that I think about it, I think it fits me best out of the four houses. Feel free to let me know if you guys are on there yet and where you were sorted.  
**

******Disclaimer: JK Rowling owns Harry Potter.**

**Chapter 3 **

Harry walked through the burrow's front door, his mind set on finding his godson. The air was cool and the family had already gathered in the front lawn, watching the fireworks George had brought and was sipping on butterbeer. They were celebrating Teddy's going away for the first time and they had just finished dinner. Throughout the meal, Harry had noticed his godson was unusually quiet, especially since he had been ecstatic for the whole month at the prospect of finally being old enough to attend Hogwarts. And as soon as dinner was over, Teddy had disappeared out of sight.

* * *

Teddy stared up the sky, his legs bent and spread as he sat on the roof. He often sat out here when he wanted to be alone and the only other person who ever knew of this wasn't here. It was easy getting onto the roof, his window lead straight out to a side roof, just big enough to hold two people. The night sky was lucid, every constellation Teddy could think of was visible. Teddy loved stargazing yet on the perfect night to do so, he had every intention of just wasting away.

Teddy had quite a jump when the window slid open and his godfather's face popped out from beyond it. Although when he thought about it, it didn't surprise Teddy that Harry had knowledge of this spot. Harry had roomed with Ron in what was now Teddy's room when he came to stay at the burrow. His godfather probably knew about the side roof. "I was coming to get you so you could watch the fireworks but I reckon you have a pretty good spot already," Harry said with a timid smile.

His godfather climbed out onto the roof along side Teddy and casted a patronus with his wand and Teddy watched as the stag galloped down the stairs. Teddy suspected that it was to inform the others that he had found Teddy and that it was okay to start the fireworks. Sure enough, the next minute, Teddy was watching a brilliant display of colors that shot up into the night sky, which provided the perfect background. And over the loud crackles of fireworks, he heard the cheering that had carried over from the other family members.

Harry watched as the vibrant colors reflect off of Teddy's eyes before looking up front again. "I'm sure she would have came if she could Ted," Harry started, just loud enough to overshoot the loud bangs and screams from below.

Teddy sighed and turned to face his godfather. Even at night, Teddy was able to see him clearly. To Teddy, his godfather wasn't the boy who saved the whole wizarding world; to him, Harry was the man who raised Teddy as his own son. Harry had aged considerably since the time Teddy was a toddler, he could see the small crow's feet forming on the side of Harry's eyes. His raven colored hair was more of the salt and pepper variety and all in all, he looked more tired. Of course, this didn't come to a surprise, being an Auror wears a person down considerably and aside from that, he also had three other children to take care of now.

"It would have been nice if she came, she always said she wanted to see it," Teddy whispered. The fireworks show was now over and Teddy could hear everyone just relaxing downstairs. But his thoughts were still on the letter he received last week. Teddy always imagined that his best friend would see him off on his first day and then eventually join him two years later. This became impossible when she moved to France but Teddy had still hoped that she would be able to visit England on September 1st. And now that wasn't even a possibility.

The two sat there for the remainder of the night before Ginny came looking for them. She was always overprotective of Teddy and urged him to come inside before he caught a cold. The chance of that happening during a warm August summer was close to nothing but Teddy obliged. He promised Harry that he would try to catch some sleep for tomorrow before his godfather finally retired to his own room.

But Teddy couldn't sleep. He continued looking out of his window; half of him was excited to death about finally being of age to attend Hogwarts while the other half was full of nerves. He was afraid that he wouldn't be able to live up to the Lupin name, that he wouldn't be able to make his parents and Harry proud. If Victoire were here, the nine year old would no doubt be yelling at Teddy for thinking of such ideas. And as loud and blunt as she would be, Teddy would at least be assured, she would never lie to him. Teddy didn't know when, but he eventually fell asleep.

* * *

Teddy nervously gripped the cart that was filled with his trunk and owl and took a deep breath before sprinting towards the wall between platforms nine and ten. In a flash, he had passed through to the other side. It was a complete contrast to the muggle platform; there were many families crowded on this platform, some were crying and some were hugging as they wave goodbye to their children. Teddy saw the large billowing scarlet engine that was stationed at the edge of the platform; this would be his gateway to a whole new life at Hogwarts.

He began placing his belongings into the train but Harry had insisted on doing it for him. And when Harry darted his head in the direction behind Teddy's, he was speculative. However, it didn't take long for Teddy to realize what was going on, behind him stood a sea of redheads who had all come to send him off. But the only person he saw had blonde hair flowing from her head. And when she saw that he had looked over, she immediately ran to give Teddy a much needed hug.

Her hair gave off a strong vanilla and strawberry scent that Teddy had come to associate her with. She had grown a few inches but so had Teddy. They eventually let go of each other when they heard the loud whistle coming from the Hogwarts Express. It was almost time for him to board the train.

"Surprised?" Victoire asked with an arched eyebrow.

Teddy chuckled. "Why would I be surprised? It's not like I was hoping to see you today," Teddy replied in a teasing tone. And just as he predicted, Victoire puffed her face up and folded her arms. Teddy enjoyed pushing Victoire's buttons since it was always so easy to provoke her and he no doubt always paid for it in the end, but he really missed their harmless exchanges. And before she had a chance to retort, he reached for her again and pulled her in for a tight embrace.

"Of course, I'm surprised, you said you weren't going to come. But I'm happy you did," Teddy said. And this time, it would be Teddy's turn to leave Victoire with a surprise. As the train blew for the last time when the clock ticked to eleven, Teddy swooped down and kissed Victoire. He didn't know what had encouraged him to do something so bold. Even Victoire had an excuse for doing it since they were both still too young to understand, but this time, Teddy was definitely old enough to understand the implications of a kiss. When Teddy pulled back, he could see the shock in Victoire's eyes. Teddy winked with a smirk and ran into the train, allowing Victoire to soak in the surprise.

By the time the train had picked up some momentum, it was off, but as Teddy stuck his head out, he saw Victoire looking at him with a stern face, yelling his name, "TEDDY LUPIN!" When the train rounded the corner and the platform was no longer in sight, Teddy sat himself down and smiled. His moment alone when the door of his compartment swung open.

In front of him stood a girl who looked flustered, her cheeks were burning bright red and she was breathing heavily. "Do you mind if I sit here?" she managed. But she was soon cut off by a boy who turned up next to her, placing his hand on her shoulder, "Do you mind if _we_ sit here?" he corrected. The girl rolled her eyes and threw his arm off and waited for Teddy to respond.

"Sure!" Teddy replied, he was happy to have company and meeting people on the Hogwarts Express, he learned, was the best way to make new friends. The girl sat across from Teddy and to her annoyance, the boy sat down next to her.

"I'm Olivia White," the girl introduced herself. The girl had straight jet-black hair with a blunt fringe covering her forehead. Her hair was so sleek; a raindrop could have rolled off of her hair and would leave no trace of it ever being there. Her eyes were a startling color of blue, almost violet if the lighting was just right. She had a round face and a straight nose.

"Ted Lupin," Teddy replied. Before Teddy could add anything else, the boy stuck his hand out and introduced himself as well.

"I'm Luke Taylor, and by the way, I saw what you did out there with that girl. Brilliant!" Luke said. Teddy had almost forgot but suddenly felt nerved when he realized that someone else had saw it happen. It seemed like Olivia didn't really like what Luke said because she was currently rolling her eyes at him before she turned away completely. Teddy really didn't want to be the first to ask about their situation so he decided to wait for one of them to speak up.

Luke seemed to have sensed Teddy's uncomfortable state and spoke first. "She's just mad that I asked her out."

Teddy didn't know what to say to this. It wasn't really his place and he had no idea the history between Luke and Olivia but he was suddenly intrigued. "Why do you look so surprised Ted? You're the chap who kissed a girl and left her staring on the platform," Luke said with a sly smile.

"Leave him alone Luke, just cause you always kiss and tell doesn't mean everyone else does," Olivia said from the window.

Luke chuckled and scooted closer to Olivia, "Liv, babe, is that why you won't go out with me?" While the two continued to banter, Teddy observed. He could tell right away that it would be a fun seven years with Luke and Olivia. Luke was the outgoing type; he had sandy blond hair with piercing blue eyes, the typical boy that every girl fanned over. Yet here Olivia sat, resisting the boy's obvious charms and making it look easy. Teddy couldn't help but wonder how fun it would have been to have Victoire join him in two years and meet his new friends. He decided there was no helping it and stopped dwelling on it.

Conversation was easy once Olivia stopped being mad at Luke. Teddy found out that Olivia and Luke were childhood friends much like Victoire and himself. But soon, all three had become friends talking about what they already knew about Hogwarts and which houses they hoped they would be sorted to. And it didn't take long before the train came to a halt and all the students filed out of their compartments. By the end of the sorting ceremony, all three friends had been sorted into Gryffindor.

Teddy didn't realize just how tired he was until he reached him dorm room. The comforting atmosphere and the plush beds were so inviting that Teddy just crashed onto the nearest bed without a second thought and drifted off.

_**Victoire's POV**_

Initially, Victoire had been told by her parents that they wouldn't have time to visit England so she could send Teddy off. She was devastated and would not talk to anyone for days. Feelings of sadness came rushing back into her as she realized she was indeed living in a different country and that she couldn't just visit Teddy as she pleased anymore. However, it seemed like Merlin answered her prayers because the day before September 1st, her father came home with great news.

Bill had been requested by the London branch of Gringotts to sort out a miscommunication between the French and the English. He would be there for a few days but that was all Victoire needed. She thought about telling Teddy that there was a change of plans but she decided it was better if she surprised him. She was always one for surprises even though Teddy never really liked them.

* * *

She had watched him as he tried to lug his trunk onto the train until her Uncle Harry decided to take over. She waited for him to turn around and she saw that his mouth instantly smiled at the sight of her. His hair as blue as ever and he had grown a few more inches since the last time he visited her in France.

Victoire had expected their long embrace and their usual banter but what she did not expect was the last minute kiss he gave her. And she really didn't know why but something inside of her jumped when his lips met hers. It didn't feel the same like it did a year ago when she surprised him with a kiss. This time, it was different and the smirk on his face was still resonated in her mind.

Naturally, the whole family saw their little exchange and needless to say, her father was less than impressed at the way his siblings were laughing at him. Uncle Ron especially was laughing his tail off and said something about "knowing it from the beginning," which surprised Victoire since her Uncle Ron never seemed to know anything. He eventually ceased his laughing when Aunt Hermione gave him a stern look but she didn't keep it for long; a grin had also managed to creep up on her face. Victoire decided to ignore her Uncle's silly behavior and pulled herself together.

* * *

While her father worked, Victoire was going to stay with her Aunt Ginny for the next few days before they had to return to France. Her mother decided to stay in France because her brother Louis was at that stage where if he was left alone for just a minute, all havoc would break loose, so it was just Victoire and her father. Victoire didn't mind though, she needed the break from her loud siblings and she always enjoyed visiting her Aunt Ginny, she was always her favorite.

"Vicky, do you want something to eat?" Ginny called from the stove. Her Aunt Ginny was also the only person who was allowed to call her "Vicky," because in all honesty, Victoire hated that nickname. She was okay with Teddy calling her Vic but Vicky, she absolutely detested. But for some reason, when her Aunt Ginny called her that, she didn't mind.

"No thanks Aunt Ginny," Victoire replied. She didn't quite have an appetite especially since she was still floored with what happened at the platform. And at the moment, Victoire really wanted to talk to someone about it, and since her mother wasn't here, the next option would be her Aunt Ginny. "But can we talk?" she asked.

One of the reasons why she loved talking to her Aunt Ginny was that she never treated Victoire like the nine year old she was. Victoire always felt a lot more mature then her age, maybe it was because she was the eldest grandchild of the Weasley family, but she committed that it was because Teddy was her best friend growing up and he always acted older then his age and some of it must have rubbed off on her.

"What would you like to talk about?" Ginny asked as she placed the ladle, she was using to scoop soup out, down and walked over to Victoire.

Victoire paused before speaking; she really didn't know how to approach this. She was only nine after all and what nine year old talks to their aunt about kissing a boy. But then again, how many nine year olds are kissed by their best friends. She decided to just come out with it, "Is it weird that I feel _weird_ after Teddy kissed me?" Victoire really didn't know what else to say for lack of a better word, weird was just the only word that popped into her mind at the moment.

Ginny chuckled before giving her niece a hug. She always loved that her niece was blunt and to the point, much like herself. Even though Victoire looked like Fleur's clone, she was happy that her favorite niece had retained the Weasley women attitude. "That's quite alright sweetie," Ginny replied. Without further explanation, Victoire felt assured. If her Aunt Ginny said it was normal, then it must have been. Little did she know, her aunt had other ideas in mind when she said it was all right.

After three days, Victoire was back in Bordeaux. Her mother came rushing out to greet her and her father with Dominique hot on her trail. Her little sister was always a daddy's girl and had no doubt missed her dad's presence after staying alone with their mother and Louis for three days. Victoire on the other hand felt like she got along fine with both of her parents. And much to her surprise, Leon was also waiting for her. He stayed back until the family gathering had calmed down.

Leon had slowly become one of her best friends in France. They played with each other almost every day and she really did miss him in the three days that she visited England. "Bonjour mademoiselle, 'ow was your trip?" Leon asked. Even though Leon was fluent in English, he still had a French accent like her mother and as hard as they tried, the accent would always slip.

Victoire giggled, Leon had developed a habit of calling her "mademoiselle" after she told him how she liked the sound of the word. He had laughed at her naïve claim and started calling her that as a way of teasing her but now, it was just an inside thing between the two of them. And as a way of making it just that, Victoire had insisted that she call him "monsieur," to be fair. "Trés bon, monsieur," she replied.


	4. New Friends

******A/N: It might be a while for the next chapter or the one after that because I have a big project due in the coming week so I may not have time to update. Hope you guys stick around though, definitely more to come. Comments/Reviews are appreciated.  
**

******Disclaimer: JK Rowling owns Harry Potter.**

**Chapter 4 **

"You promise you'll write and tell me all about Beauxbatons?" Victoire asked as she stood in front of Leon who was waiting to board the carriages that would take him to the academy. The white flying horses were a sight to behold but Victoire was only focused on retrieving an answer from her friend.

"Oui, mademoiselle, je promets," Leon answered before kissing both of Victoire's cheeks, a common thing that French people did which Victoire had grown accustomed to. "I'll write you a lezzer a day if you want," Leon said with a sly smile. Victoire knew it would be a hard feat to accomplish, she was sure he would be busy with school but if he insisted, she was going to challenge him.

"Actually, I would like that very much monsieur," Victoire replied as she stared at Leon waiting for him to break. But he didn't, and instead, accepted her challenge. She gave him one last hug before he stepped into the enormous carriages. And after being assured that Leon would keep in touch, Victoire was finally able to be amazed by the scene of the pure white horses with wings that stretched over an entire trolley. The creatures were simply breathtaking and Victoire could not wait until next year, when she would be able to take a ride in the carriages with Leon.

True to his word, Leon had written Victoire a letter a day over the next year. Most of the letters seemed like Leon had put a lot of thought into while others were lacking. But Victoire didn't mind, she enjoyed reading every bit of information Leon could feed her and she appreciated the fact that he kept his promise.

One letter was particularly amusing, Leon had wrote to tell her that he received detention after having charmed his transfiguration professor with what he called his "good looks" to not give the class homework. Of course, it wasn't his "good looks" but a small charm he decided to cast and when his professor found out, he was in big trouble. But on a more positive note, he was now hailed as what he liked to call, royalty to his peers. Victoire had a good laugh at that one, especially when she read that he had actually casted a spell and not relied on his looks. Not for nothing but she had to admit Leon was incredibly handsome and charming and would have believed it if he really did charm his professor with his "good looks."

Other letters were more straightforward, mentioning what classes he was taking and how his professors were. He also mentioned the fact that their headmistress was a giant woman and when Victoire told her mother about Leon's comment, Fleur had a good laugh. "Victoire, 'eadmistress Maxime iz a giantess." Victoire wasn't sure if Leon knew but she decided to inform him in her next letter.

However, one part that did bother Victoire a bit was his mentioning of making new friends. It was a given that he would make new friends but she still felt left out, and she was afraid that he would no longer want to be her friend by the time she started school. But even without her mentioning it, Leon had assured her that she was still his best friend and that he was glad that she would be joining him next year.

All the fun she had mailing back and forth with Leon almost made her forget about the other best friend she had in England, Teddy. And although his letters weren't as frequent, she loved hearing about Hogwarts just as much, if not more since she would never have the privilege of attending the school that all of her family had attended in their youth. It was now Teddy's second year but the year before that, Teddy had told her about the houses that they were sorted into, which was different in Beauxbaton where the student body was united as one. She wasn't surprised to hear that he had been sorted into Gryffindor like his father and his godfather.

* * *

The letters from her two friends was enough to tide her over for the next year and it wasn't long before September 1st came for her. It was now her time to attend Wizarding School. Unlike most first year students, Victoire was not nervous one bit. Her mother had prepared her and with Leon by her side, she was ready to face the world. Leon had offered to find them a seat while she said her goodbyes to her parents. "Be good sweetheart," her father had said as he hugged her. It was short and simple but enough for Victoire. Her mother, however, was another scene.

"Oh mon petit…" Fleur started in English but was soon speaking in an incoherent French that Victoire could barely understand. Victoire knew that her mother tended to speak really fast when she was nervous or scared so she pretended to understand and gave her a reassuring hug. Her father had to pull her mother away so Victoire could finally board the carriages where Leon was waiting for her.

When Victoire finally entered the carriage, she realized that Leon wasn't alone. Sitting with him were two boys, both of them had brown hair. "Victoire, zese are my two friends, Remy and Laurent." Both boys greeted Victoire with a curt nod; Victoire had a feeling Leon had a talk with them about being nice to Victoire but she didn't need the niceties and she let them know.

"I know I'm probably known as Leon's little friend but I just want you to know that if you continue treating me like I'm a fragile doll, I'm going to have to punch you," Victoire recited proudly. And just as she thought, the two boys immediately started loosening up and acted like they normally did.

"Boy, you sure make it 'ard on a guy to 'elp," Leon said as he nudged her. But Victoire only smiled sweetly before turning her attention to his two friends. By the time the journey to Marseille, where Beauxbaton was located, was over, Victoire had learned a lot. Remy, the boy with cat like green eyes was the chivalrous type while Laurent had a devil may care attitude. It was funny how different Leon's friends were but Victoire welcomed the different personalities, she considered herself just as different.

However, Victoire's first day didn't pan out like she thought it would. The moment she stepped foot into the palace that was Beauxbatons, every girls' eyes were on her. They stared at her with envy when she walked in with Leon and his friends. And throughout dinner, even though she had made many more male friends, she had yet to find herself a female friend. It seemed like all the girls avoided her yet couldn't keep their eyes off of her.

It wasn't until Victoire finally settled onto her bed that she made her first girl friend. She was just going about thinking when she heard a voice from the bed across from hers. "Their just jealous that you're so pretty and you're a first year who already has friends in the upper grades," the girl said. "I'm Millicent, but you can just call me Millie."

"I'm Victoire," Victoire answered enthusiastically. Millicent had been the first girl to talk to her tonight. "And what's there to be jealous of, I've known Leon for over three years, he's my neighbor." Victoire was confused as to why that would matter but Millicent didn't seem to think so.

"Victoire, you seem like a nice person and I like you; but between me and you, you're going to have a lot of trouble with the rest of the female population. You're a veela I presume? Well let's just say, having genetics that practically makes you a goddess along with being friends with one of the cutest boys in school won't get you a lot of friends," Millicent explained.

Victoire scrunched her nose, "So how come you're willing to be my friend?" She was confused as to why Millicent wasn't conflicted.

"That's because I could care less about those snobby French girls," Millicent said proudly, "but no offense to you," she quickly corrected. "You're not from here right? I can hear it when you speak, you don't have an accent like the rest of them."

Victoire nodded, "My Maman is French but my father and his family are all English. I was actually born in England but my family moved here around three years ago. At first we didn't know how long we were staying here but I think we have settled on staying in France, at least until I finish my education." Victoire paused, "You don't have an accent either."

Millicent laughed, "Right, well I'm kind of like you, except my father is the French one, my Mum's English like your father's family. I live with my mum so I speak English most of the time, hence the lack of accent."

"What do you mean you live with your mum, what about your father?" Victoire didn't mean to prod but Millicent seemed like an interesting character and wasn't afraid to share her stories. She was already beginning to like Millicent; the girl was a lot like herself.

"Oh, my father and mum divorced when I was very young so I was only raised by my mum along with my two younger sisters. But after she moved here to marry my father, she decided to stay, said she like the scenery and was good for my sisters and I to learn about our French heritage," Millicent answered.

Victoire hadn't expected that deep of an answer and immediately felt bad for bringing it up. She didn't know Millicent's stance on her parents' divorce so it felt awkward to mention it on their first conversation. "I'm sorry," was all Victoire could manage.

Millicent smiled and got up from her bed to sit next to Victoire. "It's quite alright, it's not like I even remember the man. I have my mum and my sisters and couldn't care less about him," she answered with an air of confidence that made even Victoire question her own level of self-esteem. Up until now, Victoire had always been the confident one between her friends but now, she had finally met her match and she was beginning to realize that Millicent would be her friend for a long time coming.

_**Teddy's POV **_

Teddy sat at the Gryffindor table reading the latest letter that Victoire had sent him. She was finally attending Beauxbaton and it seemed like she had a lot to say about it. He found himself lighting up when he read her opinionated rant about the snobby girls that were hating on her for being a veela. Thankfully, she had Leon and also made another friend named Millie. He didn't even notice when Luke had slammed his books onto the table.

Teddy had learned over the three years of being friends with Luke that the only reason why Luke would be angry so early in the morning was because of Olivia. "What is it now?" Teddy asked without even looking up, he knew a rant was coming. One that was quite obvious by now and would most likely be Luke complaining that Olivia never gives him a chance to prove that he's boyfriend material.

The first time Teddy met Luke and Olivia, he knew his friend would be the charming type and as he predicated, every girl in their year swooned over Luke. And Luke didn't mind one bit, Teddy didn't want to get ahead of himself but he was sure Luke wasn't studying when he went out with Amber or Gisele or any other girl for that matter late at night. But Teddy preferred to keep that knowledge to himself because aside from his wondering eyes; Luke was actually a good friend.

They had been over this conversation a millions times and today was no different. "I didn't actually think you wanted to go out with Olivia. I mean, she's your best mate."

"Why wouldn't I want to date Olivia, I did ask her didn't I?" Luke asked, apparently oblivious to the fact that even though he had asked her out, his male tendencies often got the best of him and he always ends having a different girl in his arms every week.

"Yeah, but it doesn't help if she sees you snogging every other girl in the hallways," Teddy laughed.

Luke scrunched up his nose, "C'mon mate, she knows they don't mean anything."

Teddy saw Olivia entering the great hall, looking around until she spotted them. She slowly made her way to the Gryffindor table. "Why don't you ask her yourself mate?" Teddy asked when Olivia reached the table and sat down next to Luke.

"Why are you two looking at me like that? Do I have something in my teeth?" Olivia asked while grabbing for some pumpkin juice and opening her book to read. Olivia sometimes reminded Teddy of Hermione, she was the bookish type and always read ahead of class. Sometimes he wondered if the sorting hat was off the night that he sorted Olivia into Gryffindor and not Ravenclaw. But he didn't ponder too long; the hat was never wrong, as evident when Professor Longbottom proved he belonged with the lions after having a large hand in defeating the Dark Lord.

Teddy coughed to signal Luke. He was sure Olivia would answer all the same but he wanted to see Luke's reaction when it all blows up back in his face like always. Although she was quiet most of the time, Olivia was not afraid to speak her mind when Luke starts to annoy her. "Hey Liv, why won't you go out with me? C'mon just one date," Luke asked in a sweet voice.

Olivia didn't bother looking up from her book, "I told you why," she simply said.

But Luke didn't take her easy answer and continued to pester her. "Would it hurt to just go to Hogsmeade with your best mate?"

"I do go with you to Hogsmeade…with Ted," Olivia said as she pointed to Teddy before going back to her book.

"You know what I mean," Luke said as he crossed his arms. Teddy could see Luke was losing his patience but Olivia wasn't even close to cracking.

"I'll think about going with you on a date when you learn to keep your _needs _down to one girl. And since that's never going to happen, my answer is simple. No," Olivia said with finality on the last word.

And even Luke couldn't argue with Olivia's statement so he resided to sulking to himself by smashing his fork into his breakfast while mumbling something along the lines of Olivia being unreasonable. Teddy didn't think to console his friend, this happened pretty often. Olivia would bruise Luke's ego with her rejection and after a few hours, Luke will bounce back and think of other reasons on why she should give him a chance.

However, to Teddy's surprise, Luke had calmed down rather quickly and was now sporting a sly grin on his face. "So Ted, when are you going to tell us about your deal with Victoire. Something's obviously going on between the two of you. You read those letters like they're sacred parchments," Luke suggested as he wiggled his eyebrows.

"I told you already Luke, Victoire is just my best friend. She now lives in France though so I don't see her much anymore. And the only way we can communicate is through mail," Teddy said as he held up the letter.

"But what about that kiss," Luke pressed on. His friend still had not forgotten the sight he witnessed three years ago when he saw Teddy kissing Victoire. "It didn't seem like something _best friends_ would do. Pretty pervy if you ask me actually," Luke laughed before receiving a hard elbow from Olivia who was silently listening to the conversation.

"What, all I'm saying is, there's something going on between the two of you that you're not telling us, which by the way as your friend, am quite offended by your lack of trust in me. _Or_ Ted Lupin is more of a ladies man than I thought," Luke said with a smug smile. "So which one is it?"

Teddy shook his head at Luke's pathetic attempt to make something out of nothing; he wasn't going to give into his friend's insinuations. Instead, he stood up and told Luke and Olivia that he would see them in class and left without saying another word. He did, however, hear Olivia offering Luke a few choice words before he was completely out of earshot, which certainly wouldn't bode well for Luke if he was ever going to make her agree to a date with him.

Teddy had been so distracted by the awkward conversation in the Great Hall that he didn't even realize he had crashed into someone. Teddy rubbed his bottom which had taken most of the fall onto the cold granite floor before standing up. He offered a hand to the girl who he had bumped into and helped her pick up the books she had dropped. "Sorry about that, should have paid more attention to my path I suppose."

However, when Teddy was finally able to catch the girl's face, he was speechless. He began to feel his chest beating a little fast and his palm started to sweat. The girl had a blue tie on which meant she was in Ravenclaw. She had subtle waves of auburn hair; unlike the fiery Weasley red he was use to seeing. Her eyes were brown like his own although hers was more of a chestnut brown while his had more of a golden flair to it. Teddy was in such a daze that he did not even realize the girl had spoken.

"I'm Kenzie," the girl said. Teddy was still hypnotized by her that he barely managed to stutter out his name. He didn't even realize her batting eyelashes and her girly pose that would indicate flirtation to anyone else watching the two. Luckily, Luke had just walked out of the Great Hall with Olivia and called out to Teddy. Teddy nervously waved a goodbye to Kenzie before setting off with Luke and Olivia.

"I thought you said you were going to class," Olivia said. "What were you doing out there with that girl?"

Teddy looked back in Kenzie's direction and saw that she had taken off with her friends in the opposite direction. He immediately started to blush but managed to morph it away before his two friends could see. "Oh, I bumped into her, s'all," Teddy answered rather quickly.

Luke shrugged his shoulders, "Good enough for me, c'mon let's get going before all the good seats are taken." Teddy shrugged his shoulders and followed Luke but he could see the questioning gaze Olivia was shooting him. He knew he wasn't going to get out of it this easily, but he would take the escape route Luke had presented him right now and deal with Olivia later.


	5. Taking the Dive

******A/N: Okay from this point on, I've stop the communication between Teddy and Victoire. It is implied that they are no longer close as they are growing up with different people and in different places. I know I didn't really ease into it but I didn't know any other way so I just decided to cut it off.  
**

******Disclaimer: JK Rowling owns Harry Potter.**

**Chapter 5 **

Teddy sat with Luke and Olivia in the library studying for their fourth year exams one afternoon. The problem was, Teddy was doing anything but studying, he was fiddling with his quill, daydreaming and looking in a particular direction where a certain Ravenclaw sat. It had been over a year and Teddy still had not gathered up the courage of asking Kenzie out for a date.

Olivia had cornered him last year to spill about his sudden awkwardness when Gryffindors had class with Ravenclaws. After about a month, Olivia had had enough and demanded that Teddy tell her what was going on. Teddy of course didn't have the guts to outright admit that he had a crush on Kenzie. However, he didn't need to, because at the moment, Kenzie had walked into the Great Hall and all Teddy could do was stare at her. He didn't even notice the blush that was creeping up his neck and that his hair had suddenly turned bright pink.

After this sight, Olivia immediately clamped her mouth in shock before giving Teddy a sly smile. "I have a sneaking suspicion that you fancy a certain Ravenclaw," Olivia said as she turned to Kenzie before looking back at Teddy, "So, are you going to tell me about it?" Teddy had made it too obvious and he could no longer hide it from Olivia, she was too smart for her own good. Eventually, news of Teddy's love life or lack of had made it to Luke. His friend suddenly felt the need to give Teddy a bunch of impractical advice about getting a girl's attention.

"Just go up to her and snog her senseless," Luke had suggested later that day with an air of confidence like he had done it many times before. Olivia immediately gave Luke a dirty look before offering Teddy some advice of her own. "Ted, I say you ask her out on a date. You'd be surprised at what the female population thinks of you," Olivia said. Luke's jaw had dropped to the floor.

"What do you mean that Ted would be surprised?" Luke asked. Olivia rolled her eyes, "You're not the only one girls talk about. And unlike you two, I actually room with them. Ted's quite a hot topic amongst the girls," Olivia said as she looked at Teddy. Teddy immediately felt his cheeks warm up. "All I'm saying is, if I didn't see you as a brotherly figure, I'd consider dating you," Olivia said in a matter of fact tone. She had directed it to Teddy but Teddy noticed that she had looked at Luke while saying it.

"You would date Ted over me?" Luke protested.

"Hey! I'm right here you prat!" Teddy challenged but he didn't really put much effort into it. This was no longer about him. Olivia had taken a jab at Luke and it was pretty obvious to miss.

Olivia folded her arms, "Yes. You see Luke, unlike yourself; Ted is actually a responsible gentleman who treat girls with respect. Not to mention, he doesn't shag everything that walks on two legs." Before Luke could refute, Olivia spoke again, "Ted, I think you should just ask Kenzie out." She then spun around immediately afterwards and left. Even after four years of bickering, Olivia still had not agreed to let Luke date her.

"I still think you should just snog her," Luke offered once more before chasing after Olivia. Teddy was left standing in the hall, but not for long. It was as if there was some divine power that was eavesdropping on their conversation but the next moment, Kenzie Martin had just rounded the corner. When she saw Teddy standing alone, she immediate smiled and skipped towards him.

"Hi Ted, how's it going," Kenzie asked with a smile. Teddy didn't really know how to approach the situation but fortunately for him, the bell had rung. Classrooms emptied out and they were no longer alone. Teddy decided that it wasn't the right time and made an excuse to leave because he had to tutor Luke.

* * *

That was last year and Teddy still had not asked Kenzie out. He was about to question his Gryffindor qualities and thought that he was probably better off in Hufflepuff. Teddy shook his head, no; he was placed in Gryffindor for a reason. As he watched Kenzie leave the library, Teddy suddenly felt his feet rise and before he knew it, he had sprinted after her.

"Kenzie!" Teddy called out as he reached the hall. He saw her auburn hair whip around before her face met his. His heart was beating abnormally fast but he ignored it and proceeded forward.

"Ted? What's wrong?" Kenzie asked, she seemed worried over Teddy's strange behavior and the fact that the boy was breathing heavily. "Do you want me to take you to Madame Pomfrey? You don't look too well."

Teddy shook his head and drew his breath. "Kenzie, would you like to go out with me?" He held his breath, waiting for her response.

"Teddy," Kenzie started, but she suddenly made a face that made Teddy rethink his decision. He hadn't even thought of the fact that she might already have a boyfriend or that she just wasn't interested. However, his reservations were cut short because Kenzie suddenly grabbed his hand and pulled him with her to an empty classroom.

"What was that about?" Teddy asked breathily. He hadn't been prepared to run and he had no idea what had prompted Kenzie to act this way. But when he finally looked at her, she looked quite nervous herself. This seemed to have calmed Teddy's nerves quite a bit.

"Sorry, it's just that there were some people peeking from the door and I didn't want them to be there when I did this," Kenzie said with a blush starting to form on her own face. Teddy looked at her with confusion; he was still waiting for her to answer his question. But he didn't have time to think, because the next moment, Kenzie had pulled his head down and placed a firm but gentle kiss on his lips. She pulled apart just a little, "I would love to go out with you." Teddy began smiling like a fool and as if there was a sudden surge Gryffindor courage that jolted him, Teddy pulled Kenzie in once again, this time for a longer kiss.

The kiss was cut short when Teddy heard some mumbling from behind the classroom door. He snapped his head back and saw two heads quickly disappearing, one black and one blond. Teddy let out a chuckled; he should have known his friends would have wondered what he was doing after his abrupt exit from the library. "I can hear you, you know," Teddy said in a raise voice.

The next moment, Luke and Olivia revealed themselves. Olivia gave Teddy an apologetic look while Luke seemed quite proud of himself. Teddy saw in the corner of his eyes that Kenzie had started to blush again and was probably startled by the interruption. "C'mon kids, it's not like I've never seen anyone snogging in an empty classroom before," Luke joked. Olivia swatted his arm but it wasn't long before she had started giggling herself. Teddy placed an arm around Kenzie's shoulders and soon, all four of them were laughing.

_**Victoire's POV**_

Two years had gone by quicker then Victoire had imagined. She enjoyed every bit of Beauxbatons, and even managed to make more female friends after the girls realized she was actually a fun person to be around. Her little sister Dominique had also started school and initially got the same treatment Victoire had received when she first arrived. However, with Victoire, Millicent, Leon, Remy and Laurent standing behind her, no one dared to approach the eleven year old with any rude remarks.

* * *

"Listen to me Nikki," Victoire said as she kneeled down to talk to her little sister before they had left for Beauxbatons. "There's going to be a lot of girls who are not going to like you for being part veela, but I want you to ignore them. They just have nothing better to do with their life so they choose to antagonize anyone they think they can take advantage of. But don't let them."

Her little sister was always more timid then Victoire was and she wasn't as thick skinned so Victoire felt it would be best if she warned her first. "But what if they don't stop bothering me," Dominique asked.

Victoire was about to answer but Leon who had been sitting on the couch replied instead. "Zen zey'll have to answer to me," Leon said with a wink. Victoire saw that Dominique immediately brightened up before running off to finish packing. Victoire turned around to give Leon a glare, "I was trying to teach her to stand up for herself."

Leon laughed before he patted the cushion next to where he was sitting to signal Victoire to sit down next to him. Victoire arched her eyebrows as if to challenge him but started to chuckle when he gave her a sad puppy face. She walked over to the couch and before she could sit down herself, Leon had pulled her down into his arms. "Fine, next time I'll let you finish talking," Leon whispered. Victoire didn't even notice their close proximity until she felt his hot breathe on her face. She suddenly felt her stomach twist into a thousand knots. Her throat had gone dry when she tried to swallow. She didn't know what had provoked her sudden wave of nerves but it certainly wasn't going to go away on it's own so she stood up.

"It's getting really hot. I'm really hot, are you?" Victoire stuttered as she fanned herself with her hand. She felt her face turn bright red when she looked at Leon again. "Iced tea?" Victoire offered, but she hadn't let Leon answer. She sprinted towards to door and pushed it forward, revealing the kitchen.

Victoire opened the fridge and wrinkled her face when she realized they didn't have any iced tea. She decided to grab the pitcher of punch instead, it's not like it mattered, she just needed something to cool her down. When she closed the fridge door, she saw that Leon had followed her into the kitchen.

Victoire started stuttering again and she had no idea why. It frightened her to no end, she was always composed and to her knowledge, nothing had ever flustered her to this degree before. "Sorry, we don't have iced tea but we do have punch," Victoire said and continued rambling until Leon walked forward to grab the pitcher from her. Quite frankly, she was glad he did because she wasn't sure if she was going to drop it from her shaky hands.

Leon chuckled, "Calmer Victoire." Leon placed both of his hands on Victoire's shoulder and kissed her forehead. Victoire's nerves seemed to have soothed to Leon's voice. From a young age, her mother use to always sing to her in French whenever Victoire had a surge of emotion, whether it be anger or sadness. Naturally, this habit carried over and now, whenever Victoire needed calming down, one only needed to talk to her in French. It's not to say that that was the only way to relax her but she had mentioned it to Leon since he was capable of the language.

* * *

Victoire hadn't bought up the incident since arriving at Beauxbatons and it seemed like Leon didn't think it was a big deal either since they resumed their usual friendship when class started. She talked to him like she usually would but something had changed. It didn't feel as easy as it had been before, she found herself looking at Leon more and more these days. And an unexplainable feeling of jealously clouded her whenever Leon talked to other girls.

Millicent seemed to have noticed Victoire's recent discomfort and decided to confront her in their room. "What's wrong Vic? You seem flustered lately, what's bothering you?" she asked as she sat Indian style on her bed. She watched as Victoire pace around the room and was quite amused at her friend's behavior. It was definitely a change of scenery to see the always unruffled Victoire looking so frightened.

It took a while before Victoire was finally able to answer Millicent because she herself wasn't even sure what to say. She knew something was different but she didn't know what, or rather, didn't want to admit it. But she decided to tell Millicent, maybe she was just over thinking it, and Millicent will be able to set her in her place. "I think I may have feelings for Leon," she mumbled.

Millicent uncrossed her legs and leaned forward," I'm sorry, what did you just say?" she said as if teasing Victoire to speak louder. Victoire sighed and repeated her sentence, this time more audibly, "I said, I think I may have feelings for Leon." Victoire quickly looked away, afraid of what her friend's face might reveal.

But to her surprise, Millicent leapt off of her bed and gave Victoire a hug. "Oh good for you, you finally managed to figure it out." Victoire didn't know how to gauge her friend's response. She stood there with her mouth gaped open, waiting for Millicent to explain herself.

Millicent rolled her eyes, "Oh please Vic, don't tell me you haven't noticed Leon trying to get closer to you. He's been doing it since last year. I didn't think it would take you this long to figure it out on your end though." Victoire shook her head in disbelief, had she really been so blind to Leon's attempts to get closer. Did he really feel the same about her?

Victoire didn't really have time to process it all because the next moment, Millicent had ran out the door and called Leon's name in a sing song voice, telling him to come upstairs. And before Victoire could scold her friend, Leon stood at the doorway of their room looking between Millicent and Victoire, just as confused. Millicent turned to Victoire and gave her a wink before pushing Leon into the room and left the room herself.

Victoire cursed her friend under her breath. She was going to have to kill her friend later, if she made it out alive from the awkward situation she was now in. She must have been talking to herself for quite a while because when she looked up, Leon was now standing right in front of her. "What is zis about Victoire?" Leon asked, accentuating her name in a deep French accent; the way it was meant to sound but often mispronounced by foreigners.

Victoire was now cursing Leon, "Damn, why the hell does he have to have an accent. Does he know how irresistible he is when he speaks like that?" she thought. But she pulled herself together and took a deep breath before starting. "The thing is Leon, I've been noticing lately that something has changed between the two of us," she said as she gestured between the two of them. Victoire tended to move her hands a lot when she was really nervous. "And I think that may be because…"she paused. Leon looked at expectantly, urging her to continue. "Because I like you," Victoire finally blurted out.

"But if you don't feel the same, than I guess that's fine too. We can just forget about this whole conversation and go back to being friends. Although I'm not sure I can still look at you the same for a while but you know, we can work it out," Victoire was talking so fast, she was sure Leon hadn't heard a thing but she couldn't help it. She continued to ramble on until Leon tilted her chin towards him and smiled at her.

"You don't know how long I've waited to hear you say zat," he whispered before pulling her waist towards him and kissed her. Victoire's hands immediately found their way around his neck and she deepened their kiss. What she was feeling at the moment was indescribable; his kiss had taken her breath away, literally. When they finally pulled apart, her lips felt swollen and she could see his lips were cherry red. She broke into a laugh when she realized how silly she was for withholding her feelings from Leon. It was all too obvious now, she really should have realized earlier.

Leon had to finally leave the room because he was afraid Remy and Laurent would grow suspicious of his long disappearance into the girl's room and would come looking for him. And he certainly didn't want them walking in on him and Victoire kissing. But he promised Victoire that they would talk later. Victoire blissfully agreed and he kissed her one last time on her nose before he left.

And to Victoire's embarrassment, when Leon opened the door, Millicent fell into him. Her friend smiled apologetically at Victoire for trying to listen in on their conversation. Victoire gave Millicent a disapproving look but Leon had turned around and gave her a wink before leaving the two girls alone. And Victoire couldn't find it in herself to stay mad at her friend for eavesdropping. As soon as the door shut, Victoire and Millicent started jumping and squealing.

That night, Victoire met Leon when everyone else had gone to sleep. They agreed that they would be dating but didn't make it any further before they started snogging each other again. It was two in the morning before Victoire finally managed to peel herself away from Leon. She didn't want the other girls wondering where she had gone off to although she was sure she wouldn't be sleeping tonight.

The next morning, it became apparent to everyone else that Victoire was now dating Leon. The two walked hand in hand into the Great Hall where the students had breakfast. Many girls darted nasty looks at Victoire for snatching Leon from them while she also saw many boys looking disappointed. This had elated her and she was back to her confident self. They were now the main source of gossip in the school but Victoire and Leon ignore it for the most part and stuck to their friends.

Although, Remy and Laurent did give Leon a rough start for finally bagging the girl he liked. Leon shot Victoire a weak smile as if to apologize for his friends' brute phrasing but Victoire only shrugged before pulling his face in for a kiss. That immediately shut Remy and Laurent's mouth and the two were back to eating their breakfast while Millicent laughed from the side.


	6. Never Left Alone

******A/N: Longest chapter yet because instead of Teddy's POV in this chapter, I've replaced it with Olivia and Luke's POV. So basically, there's three POVs in this chapter. I think it's time you all see what goes on between them.  
**

******Disclaimer: JK Rowling owns Harry Potter.**

**Chapter 6 **

Victoire's ride home from Beauxbatons was an anxious one. She was going home for Christmas break and the day before their return, Leon had asked her to join him and his family in Paris for the winter break. Victoire had never spent time away from her family during Christmas and she was hesitant about what her parents would say. But the truth was, she really hoped that her parents would allow it. Victoire had only visited Paris once since her family arrived in France and she would never forget the live atmosphere that the city of love provided; not to mention, this time, she would be with her boyfriend Leon.

As the horses prepared to land, Leon placed his hand on top of hers, "Don't worry about it Victoire, I'm sure your parents will allow it." Victoire gave a nervous smile to Leon before looking out the window to search for her parents who would be waiting for her and her siblings. It was Louis' first year in Beauxbatons and Victoire had to admit, he already had all of the girls wrapped around his finger. Everyone was fascinated at the fact that he was a boy who had veela blood. Under normal circumstances, veela women rarely gave birth to boys.

When the carriages came to a screeching halt on the landing pad, the students all exited, screaming and hugging their parents and guardians. Leon got off the carriage first and extended a hand to Victoire to help her down. Their friends soon followed. Victoire said a quick goodbye to Millicent and promised to let her friend know if she would be going to Paris with Leon. Her sister and brother had already reached their parents and each were taking turns hugging and kissing them.

Victoire stayed behind with Leon. "I'll see you later then?" Victoire asked as Leon held her hand.

He nodded, "I'll come over lazzer and discuss Paris wiz your parents, oui?" Victoire smiled and stood on her tiptoes and kissed Leon on the lips. It had been a year since they got together and Victoire still felt hippogriffs in her stomach when she kissed Leon, which she figured was a good thing. Victoire watched as Leon headed towards his family before she made her way to her parents.

"How's the year going so far sweetheart?" Bill asked as Victoire jumped into his arms to offer a hug. She missed her father and took in his homely scent, "Great so far."

She then went over to her mother who immediately started planting kisses on her cheeks, "Oh I mizzed you so much mon petit. We will have a great Chrizmuz togezer." Upon hearing this, Victoire instantly felt guilty about asking her parents about spending Christmas with Leon in Paris. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea and she'll just tell Leon she was feeling under the weather and wouldn't be able to accompany him to Paris.

* * *

Two hours had passed since Victoire arrived home. She had quickly changed into something more comfortable and she sat in front of the fireplace drinking some hot cocoa. The flames roared up the chimney and danced along the wood chips, making crackling sounds every now and then. Her attention was steered away from the fire when she heard a familiar voice talking in the kitchen. Victoire leapt up from the couch and ran into the kitchen where she saw a beaming Leon standing there conversing with her parents. Her stomach fell slightly, she hoped that Leon had not ask her parents yet; she was having second thoughts and wanted to discuss it with him first. Thankfully, when Fleur announced that Leon would be having dinner with them tonight, she was reassured that he had not asked about Paris yet.

Leon pulled Victoire in for a hug before kissing her on her forehead. When Dominique, who was currently in the kitchen reading, witnessed the scene, she scrunched her face in feigned disgust, "Get a room, you two." Victoire shot a killing look at her sister before Dominique picked up her mug and skipped out of the kitchen.

"Dinner will be ready in an 'our," Fleur announced. Victoire nodded and proceeded to lead Leon up to her room.

As soon as the door closed, Leon pulled Victoire against the door and kissed her, it was so sensual and heated that Victoire couldn't help but let out a moan. She reluctantly pulled away when she realized she still had to talk to Leon and they only had about forty minutes before dinner was ready. "Leon, we have to talk about Paris," Victoire said in a serious tone. Leon smiled and kissed her once more, "I was planning on asking your parents during dinner."

Victoire sighed and walked over to her bed. Leon gave her a confused look before following her to her bed and sat down. He tilted her chin up, "Ce qui est faux, Victoire?"

Victoire gave a weak smile, "I don't know if it's such a good idea. I didn't even think about how much my family missed me. Maybe we can go to Paris another time. Maybe during the summer when there's more time off."

Leon smiled sadly, "If zat is what you want."

Victoire looked up at Leon apologetically, "You're not mad are you?"

He immediately chuckled, "Of course not. But I guess I will have fun all by myself," he teased.

Victoire gave a horrified look, "You're not going to miss me? You lovely girlfriend of over a year?" Victoire turned up the veela charm one notch and Leon could not resist it.

He rubbed his nose against hers, "Not as much fun as it would have been if you came wiz me," he whispered. Victoire smiled and pulled Leon in once again before their lips met. When Fleur finally called them for dinner, Victoire had to straighten her hair. She frowned when she saw that her lips were swollen red. Victoire decided to put some lipstick on as an excuse and paired it with a more dressy attire.

* * *

During dinner, her father had pointed out Victoire's very formal attire. "Vic, it's only a family dinner, why are you so dressed up?" Bill asked. Victoire blushed but thankfully, her mother didn't think it was so outlandish. In fact, she insisted that once in a while when they were all together for dinner, all of them should dress up. Victoire saw her father curse himself for mentioning the situation in the first place and had to giggle. When dinner was finished, her parents retired to their room while the four children stayed downstairs.

"I'm calling it a night," Dominique said after an hour and was the first to leave. She waved goodbye to Leon before heading upstairs. Louis was still stretched out on the floor watching the telly, something that he had been obsessed with ever since he was younger. Granddad Weasley had introduced the odd contraption to all of the grandkids and Louis was one of the few who caught on. Victoire decided that her younger brother was not going to be done anytime soon so she dragged Leon into the kitchen.

"I really wished Louis would go up already. This is the last day I'm going to see you until we go back and I don't even get to spend it the way I wanted to with my boyfriend," Victoire pouted.

Leon chuckled and threw his arm around Victoire's shoulder as they sat on the stools. "I will write you and we will see each ozzer when I come back," he assured. Victoire nodded before drifting off. When Leon noticed that Victoire had fallen asleep, he carried her upstairs to her room. Leon waved goodbye to a distracted Louis and headed back to his house.

* * *

Over the next few days, Victoire had received letters from Leon as promised. He described the sights he had gone to and the food he had tried. He also sent over pictures that his parents had taken which included ones of Leon standing in front of the Eiffel Tower. Victoire felt a bit green when she saw how much fun he was having without her. However, when Christmas day arrived, she was immediately humbled with the looks of joy over her family's faces.

When break was over, Victoire was finally able to see Leon again. She greeted him with an enthusiastic kiss when he first got home. It was a day before they had to return to Beauxbatons and Leon invited her over to his house for dinner. Victoire was extremely comfortable with the Portiers; they were practically family by now. "I've got a surprise for you," Leon said as he led Victoire up to his room.

Leon's room was well suited for Leon's taste. The room was colored with an emerald green, one of Leon's favorite colors. It was spacious and the bed was big enough to fit two grown adults. It was neat like Leon and it had a strong scent of cologne that immediately reminded Victoire of him. Victoire sat on Leon's plush bed as he disappeared into his closet to search for her surprise.

When Leon finally reappeared, Victoire's eyes bulged out at the surprise Leon had for her. In his hands was a long silvery dress, it was embroidered with many diamonds that made the dress shine even more. Victoire immediately recognized the dress; it was one that she had seen it being worn by a model on the telly. She had pointed it out to Leon a few months ago and expressed her wish of wearing something as extravagant as that dress. It was a bit of a stretch since it was by a very expensive designer and was only available in Paris. She couldn't believe that Leon had actually remembered, let alone afford it. Sure, she knew the Portiers were wealthy, but she didn't actually think Leon would have gotten it as a gift for her.

"So, I bought zis dress for my girlfriend, but I don't know if she'll like it. What do you zink mademoiselle?" Leon asked as he sauntered over to the bed.

Victoire raised her finger and placed it under her chin as if to think the question over. "Hmm…I don't know. If I was your girlfriend and didn't see you for over a week, I would have expected something much more grand," she said with a sly smile.

"Zen good zing zis is not for my girlfriend," Leon said, he was always good at playing along with her games and wasn't going to let her win so easily.

Victoire realized Leon was harder to break then she thought so she would have to approach it differently. She jumped on Leon and he caught her by the waist with one hand since the other was still occupied with holding the dress up. She clawed her fingers against his back and he groaned. It wasn't long before Leon opened his lips to allow her tongue entrance but that was just what Victoire wanted. Leon went in for a deep kiss but Victoire pulled away and grabbed the dress from Leon's hands. She jumped off of Leon and ran into his bathroom, letting out fits of giggles on the way. Leon stared wide-eyed at his bathroom door before shaking his head and chuckled. Victoire had won once again.

_**Olivia's POV**_

It was a Sunday morning and while everyone else was still in bed, Olivia White was already in the Gryffindor common room reading another book. Reading was one of her favorite pastimes; it allowed her to dream about fantasies that wouldn't necessarily happen in real life. Ever since Olivia was a little girl, her mother who was a muggle had encouraged her to read different books and unbeknownst to anyone else, her favorite genre was romance. She was currently reading one of her favorite novels, Pride and Prejudice.

Suddenly she heard footsteps coming down the stairs. Olivia looked at the clock, and frowned, she thought she would have some more alone time especially on a Sunday. Olivia decided to return to her reading and hoped that whoever was joining her in the common room would not be a bother or better yet, leave. To her surprise, the footsteps had stopped right behind her as she saw the looming shadow block the sunlight. She irritably closed her book and sat up, if it was some first year bothering her about something stupid, she was going to hex them. Olivia had been named prefect since her fifth year and was usually willing to help the younger students but when it came to her alone time, she was very critical.

Olivia was shocked when a gaped mouth Luke was staring at her. Olivia rolled her eyes when she realized it was only Luke, "It's only you Taylor." But Luke did not respond, he continued staring at her. When Olivia started getting annoyed at her friend's lack of response, she squinted into the sun and suddenly realized that Luke's cheeks were burning red and he had yet to close his mouth. "What?" Olivia asked incredulously.

Luke suddenly snapped back to reality and quickly looked away, the blush still discernible in the sunlight. He raised his finger slightly and pointed it at Olivia. Olivia was puzzled at her friend's behavior until she noticed where his finger had landed. She suddenly gasped and turned away from Luke, she had forgotten that she was only wearing a tank top that just so happened to be more revealing at the moment that she would have liked it to be. "How long have you been staring," Olivia asked in an embarrassed tone.

However, Luke seemed to be even more embarrassed as he stuttered to get his words out, "Um, just-just came down. I didn't see much, I promise!" He had said the last part a little too fast and loud for Olivia's liking and she suspected he was lying to make her feel better. She continued to look away until she felt a flimsy material hitting her head. Olivia saw from the corner of her eye that Luke had wondered over and offered his shirt so that she could cover up.

Olivia grabbed the shirt and mumbled a thanks to Luke. The shirt was big on her but it felt comfortable on her body. His scent had resonated on the clothing and it made her blush when she realized she was actually wearing his shirt. It smelled like fresh cut grass and detergent, the same smell she had fell in love with ever since they had been best friends. She was snapped out of her daze when Luke's voice rang in her ears, "Can I look now?"

Olivia snapped her head around and noticed that Luke had covered his eyes with his hands, rather poorly she might add but she appreciated the gesture all the same. She had to admit, as much as he was a pig towards other girls, Luke had always treated her the same ever since they were little. A blush crept onto her cheeks when she noticed that Luke was now shirtless. She dared to stay silent and stare at his sculpted body that seemed even more fit with the sunlight hitting the surface of his muscles.

"Liv?" Luke asked again. Olivia shook her head and pushed the thought out of her head. Luke was not the guy for her; he didn't like her like that. And despite his many attempts at asking her out, she had stood her ground. She didn't want to lose her friend and even though it pained her to see him with other girls, it was better then nothing. "You can look now," she whispered. Luke slowly peeled his hand off of his eyes and looked at Olivia.

Although Olivia was sure Luke had been looking at her like a piece of meat and that he would immediately revert to his usual self around her when she covered herself up, she was pleasantly surprised when he kept staring at her. His indented dimples made him look even more adorable and he smiled at her like she was the only one in the world. She was about to speak when she suddenly heard giggling from across the room. She snapped her head away from Luke and noticed the group of girls standing by the staircase looking at a topless Luke.

Olivia sighed, she knew better then to think he was smiling at her. She stood up and pushed through the throng of teenage fan girls to get to her room. She quickly changed into her own clothes and when she went downstairs, Luke was nowhere to be seen. The girls had also disappeared which meant that they probably left together already. Olivia didn't know why but she suddenly felt very angry with Luke and she promised herself that next time he stared at her when she was vulnerable, she would just hex his eyes out.

When she saw Teddy stumble down the stairs, she walked towards him heavily. "Ted, do me a favor and give this to Luke."

Teddy examined the shirt, "Why do you have Luke's shirt?"

Olivia suppressed the blush that threatened to reveal her true feelings, "Just give it to him, okay!"

She stomped out of the portrait hole before Teddy could retort but she heard him yell, "Oy, why don't you give it to him yourself?" before the door closed behind her.

"Because he's a prat," she mumbled under her breath.

_**Luke's POV**_

Luke had been restless the past week. He was now in his sixth year and he wondered how long before he graduated that Olivia would take him seriously. He had grown up with Olivia and they were best friends. Along the way, he had made new friends like Teddy but Olivia would always be his best friend. It was currently eight in the morning and the sun had just risen. Luke decided to head downstairs, in the hopes of catching Olivia. He was use to her schedule by now; she was usually an early riser and would often spend the weekend mornings in the common room reading.

When he reached the bottom of the stairs, he saw the familiar raven-haired girl, concentrating on a book. Luke guessed it was probably a romance novel, as much as Olivia thought no one knew, Luke had known that it was her favorite genre to read. As he walked closer to her tranquil body, he suddenly froze. Olivia must not have noticed but her bosoms were overflowing to the point where Luke could her cleavage as clear as day. His jaw must have hit the ground as he continued to drink in her body, the sun made her skin glisten even more than usual. She must have noticed his presence because she suddenly closed her book in a snap and turned to face him.

Luke noticed her surprise expression, probably because she didn't expect anyone to be down in the common room this early. "It's only you Taylor," she called him by his last name. This would normally annoy him but he couldn't bring himself to utter a word as he continued to stare. At the moment, Luke did not worry about the consequences that he would have to face when she finally realized her revealing attire. "What?" she exclaimed.

This finally snapped Luke out of his daze and as much as he enjoyed the view, it would have to end. He quickly looked away and pointed at her tank top. It was a few seconds before he heard her gasp and scrambled to turn around.

He turned around slowly and saw her adjusting her shirt, "How long have you been staring?" she whispered.

Luke could tell she was flustered so he lied, "Um, just-just came down. I didn't see much, I promise!" He mentally slapped himself for making it so obvious, he practically spat out that response. But Olivia seemed to have accepted his answer and did not say anything else.

Luke decided that Olivia was still hesitant about turning around so he pulled the shirt off his back and covered his eyes with one hand as he stumbled closer to her. He flicked the shirt in front of her until he felt her taking it before she muttered a thanks. He waited patiently, afraid that she would curse him if he looked before she was ready. He waited a few minutes, "she was sure taking her time," he thought. "Can I look now?" he asked. When she didn't answer, he decided to peek through his fingers to see what was going on. Through the slit, he saw her violet eyes staring at his body, almost hungrily. Luke had to struggle to keep the smirk from developing on his face, he was known to have that effect on girls and he was glad that Olivia felt the same.

"Liv?" he asked, pretending to not know she was done and was staring at him. Luke heard her sighed before she whispered that he was allowed to look. He removed his hand and smiled at Olivia. He could seriously get lost in her eyes all day and the fact that she was now wearing his shirt, made him even happier. They continued to stare at each other until he saw her open her mouth to speak. However, before she could make any words out, there was a loud giggle coming from the girls' staircase.

He and Olivia both snapped their heads towards the noise. Luke frowned, his moment alone with Olivia had been ruined and he didn't even get to hear what she was about to say. And the next thing he knew, she had retreated back to her dorm, leaving him with the wave of crazy teenage girls. He smiled weakly at them before running upstairs to grab another shirt. Unfortunately, when he came back downstairs, Olivia was still not there and the group of girls was. Luke sighed before he decided to head downstairs and grab some breakfast.

Luke looked around the Great Hall; he had yet to spot Olivia or Teddy. Soon after, he spotted Teddy walking in with Kenzie hand in hand. Luke called Teddy over, "Ted, have you seen Olivia?"

Teddy nodded, "Oh yeah, this morning. She seemed pretty mad though. What did you do mate?"

Luke shook his head, "Nevermind, I'll talk to you later." His friend looked at him with concern but retreated to the Ravenclaw table with his girlfriend. Teddy had been spending a lot of time with Kenzie and he almost always sat at the Ravenclaw table nowadays.

It wouldn't be until the middle of his conversation with his quidditch captain, Jack Stiles, that he saw the familiar raven-haired girl enter the Great Hall. Luke held up his hand to signal Jack to give him a minute. He was about to wave at Olivia but there was no need, she had spotted him and abruptly turned away but not before giving him a killing look. She then proceeded to the Ravenclaw table and it looked like she was asking Teddy and Kenzie if she could join them. When he saw Teddy nod, she sat down and began conversing with the two. Luke sighed, he really thought he had a moment with Olivia this morning but he was wrong. For the rest of breakfast, Jack's lectures were a daze as Luke continued to think about Olivia.

**A/N: Hey guys, I love that a lot of you are favoriting the story but it would really help if you left some reviews, it helps me see what you like or don't like not to mention, some motivation. But all in all, I hope you are enjoying the story.**


	7. Break Ups, Hook Ups and Paris

******Disclaimer: JK Rowling owns Harry Potter.**

**Chapter 7 **

Teddy sprinted to the other side of the castle where the Ravenclaw tower was located. He had promised Kenzie that he would pick her up before they headed down for breakfast. When he saw her waiting by the door, he smiled and reached over to pull her in for a hug before reaching down to steal a kiss. As they walked down to the Great Hall, Teddy intertwined his fingers with hers, "Ready for our date later?" Teddy had asked Kenzie to accompany him to Hogsmeade later that day since they hadn't had much time to see each other as of lately.

"Of course Ted," Kenzie responded brightly before they entered the Great Hall.

Before Teddy could walk any further, Luke had called out to him. He wondered over to the Gryffindor table with Kenzie to see what his friend wanted, hoping for Luke to ask him to sit with him today but there was no such luck. Although Teddy preferred to sit at the Gryffindor table with his friends, Kenzie had insisted that he sit with her to meet her friends one day. Before he knew it, she suggested that it would just be easier if he sat there with her all the time. Teddy had conceded to her request at first but now he wished he could spend at least one day with his friends without having to listen to Kenzie and her girlfriends gossip at the Ravenclaw table.

"Ted, have you seen Olivia?" Luke asked.

Teddy suddenly remembered Olivia's distraught demeanor, "Oh yeah, this morning. She seemed pretty mad though. What did you do mate?" Luke dismissed his questions and told him he would talk to him later. Teddy stared at his friend for a bit longer before he gave up and let Kenzie lead him towards the Ravenclaw table.

During breakfast, Kenzie had been busily chatting away with her friends as Teddy sat there eating his breakfast and occasionally smiling at the girls to make it look like he was interested in their nonsensical conversations. However, he was soon relieved when he saw Olivia approach them. Her face was still distraught and she looked like she could murder someone. But her voice was completely different from her face as she asked him and Kenzie politely if she could join them. Teddy immediately nodded without Kenzie's confirmation and Olivia proceeded to take a seat across from them.

Soon after, Kenzie announced that she was going to head up and get ready for their date and that she would wait for him at the front gate before she kissed him. Olivia had also waved to Kenzie; Teddy waited until Kenzie and her friends were no longer in sight to question Olivia. "So do you want to tell me why you're avoiding Luke?"

Olivia looked down into her breakfast, "No I don't Ted."

Teddy scrunched up his face, "Liv, c'mon, you don't actually expect me to believe that nothing's wrong. This morning you looked like you could kill him. And when I talked to Luke, he was asking for you but wouldn't tell me anything else."

"Well you're not going to hear anything else from me," Olivia declared as she stood from the table and left without another word. Oddly enough, when he looked over at the Gryffindor table, he spotted Luke watching Olivia as she strutted out. His friend immediately followed, waving goodbye to Jack, the Gryffindor quidditch captain.

* * *

Teddy cradled his head in his hands, this situation between his two friends was driving him crazy and he couldn't keep it in any longer. He stood up and followed them, determined to get to the bottom of it.

Teddy followed Luke at a safe distance before he came to a stop. He poked his head from behind a corner and watched as the two of them argue. He had to strain his ear to hear the conversation since Olivia was determined to keep it quiet. Luke on the other hand, was yelling, "What the hell do you want from me Liv? I ask you out and you're not happy about that. So I go out with out girls, and you're still not happy."

The argument went back and forth, Teddy had been so engrossed with the conversation that he almost forgot that he was suppose to meet Kenzie for their Hogsmeade date. He glanced at his watch and realized he was late by twenty minutes, "Shit!" he murmured, making sure his friends hadn't noticed his presence. Teddy sighed; he would have to catch up on his friends later. He didn't want Kenzie blowing up on him, as much as he tolerated her, the girl had a fiery temper and he did not want to be at the receiving end of one of her outbursts for ditching her. And as of lately, it was a common occurrence and Teddy was honestly getting a little tired of it.

When Teddy reached the front gate, he knew he had it coming. Kenzie was waiting there with her hands on her hips, tapping her foot impatiently on the ground. She looked frantic and when she noticed Teddy had finally showed up, she stomped towards him. "You're twenty minutes late!" she screamed. Teddy had to close his eyes from her screeching so close to his ears.

"I'm sorry Kenzie, I got caught up with something," Teddy explained.

"Caught up with what?" she asked in an accusing tone.

"Well with Olivia…" Teddy started but Kenzie hadn't let him finish.

"I knew it! You fancy her don't you? That's why you were so happy when she joined us today for breakfast." Kenzie shouted as she poked him in the chest.

Teddy's eyes widened to the point that they threatened to pop out of their sockets. "What? You're insane! Olivia is only a friend and if you would have let me finish, I was going to say that I was caught up with Olivia _and_ Luke! They've been acting weird and I wanted to make sure my friends were alright," he refuted.

Kenzie crossed her arms, "So what about me? Am I so unimportant that you feel you can ditch me for your friends whenever you feel like it?"

Teddy put his arms up, "I told you, I'm sorry. I really did lose track of time!"

"If you don't want to be with me just say so. You don't need to make excuses," Kenzie countered.

Teddy shook his head in disbelief, "What are you talking about Kenzie?"

"Because, I noticed that lately you've been getting bored. You don't pay attention to me as you use to when we first started dating and you're always making up excuses to go somewhere else. And I thought that when you asked me out today, that everything was going to go back to the way it was. But then you show up twenty minutes late and just wave it away like it was nothing," Kenzie exclaimed.

Teddy had lost his patience. Although he had to admit, he was growing distant from Kenzie as of lately, he honestly did lose track of time today. He didn't mean to act disinterested towards her but it was hard when all she did was talk to her girlfriends while he sat there like an idiot at the Ravenclaw table. Maybe it was time he moved on. Teddy sighed, he knew all hell was going to break lose but he decide it would be best if they didn't continue seeing each other. "Kenzie, I think we should break up," Teddy said in a monotonous voice.

He watched as Kenzie's face turn tomato red before she slapped him hard across the face. "I hate you Ted Lupin!" she screamed before she headed towards Hogsmeade. For some reason, it had been liberating for Teddy to break up with Kenzie. It was as if he was back to his normal self again. He smiled before he ran back to the Gryffindor common room, hoping to get some alone time since most of the students were still out at Hogsmeade.

However, Teddy was greeted with a surprise when he entered the common room. On the couch by the fireplace, arms and lips entangled were his two friends Olivia and Luke going at it like sex deprived teenagers; which was partly true. Teddy stood there speechless; he wasn't sure if he should speak up or just leave the two of them alone. But this was too good to be true and Teddy decided that he would tease his friends for finally hooking up. "Ahem," Teddy cleared his throat.

Olivia and Luke immediately snapped their heads around at the sound of Teddy's sudden arrival. When Olivia spotted Teddy she ducked under while Luke managed to ask why Teddy was back so early. "I broke it off with Kenzie," Teddy said nonchalantly, his friends' escapade was currently more interesting then his pathetic breakup.

"Are you okay Ted?" Olivia muttered from behind the couch. Teddy had to chuckle, even after being caught snogging Luke's face off, she was still worried about Teddy's breakup.

"M'fine Liv, thanks for worrying," Teddy yelled across the room and saw Olivia wave to acknowledge his response. Teddy looked back at Luke and saw his friend smirk before giving a shrug. Teddy snickered before running up to his dorm to leave his two friends alone. He would have to ask Luke about it later.

_**Victoire's POV**_

Victoire had left Leon speechless when she finally exited his bathroom wearing the dress he bought her. The silver dress hugged her body perfectly, accentuating her curves and showcasing her legs through a slit that ran down the dress on the side. "You like what you see?" Victoire asked shamelessly as she flaunted her body. She watched as Leon nodded while he stared at her from head to toe.

During her dinner with the Portiers, the family had all complimented on how wonderful Victoire looked and she noticed that Leon couldn't keep his eyes off of her. She smiled smugly until she felt his foot running against her bare legs and she felt a shiver up her spine. Victoire looked at Leon, surprised at his boldness to be intimate in front of his parents but he only winked, which in turn caused Victoire to show her famous Weasley blush. She quickly excused herself before she could embarrass herself further.

When she reached the bathroom, she was about to close the door but Leon placed his foot in between the doorway. He walked in silently but he didn't have to say much, his actions said it all, he wanted her. Victoire kicked the door close as Leon pushed her against the bathroom door, his kisses branding her skin as he moved down from her lips and landed on her neck. He sucked hard until she was left with a purple mark on her collarbone. Victoire messily ran her hands through his fine hair while maneuvering her tongue inside his mouth.

By the end of her visit, she was sure the Portiers had suspected something had gone down in their bathroom but they said nothing. Leon had walked her back to her house and acted like a gentleman compared to what had happened in the bathroom. He pecked each of her cheeks before giving a soft kiss on her lips and said goodbye. Victoire walked into her house, her hand still on her lips as she remembered Leon's lips on top of hers just a minute ago.

"Victoire, where did you get that beautiful dress?" her mother asked as she eyed Victoire's new dress.

Victoire giggled, "Leon got it for me when he was in Paris, said it was a late Christmas present."

Fleur rushed to her daughter's side to examine the dress. "You look stunning mon cherie," she finally said before kissing Victoire on her forehead.

Victoire spent the rest of the night recalling the dinner she had with Leon to her mother, albeit skipping the risqué parts to spare her mother from some unnecessary details she didn't want to travel to her father. Her mother might have been easy going when it came to boys since it was common knowledge that Fleur Delacour was the girl to be with back in the days. Her father, on the other hand, was more protective of his eldest daughter and would not approve so easily of Victoire's actions with Leon.

* * *

Soon after New Years, Victoire had returned to Beauxbatons along with her siblings, Leon and Millicent. Upon reaching their dorms, Victoire excitedly told Millicent about the dress Leon brought her and the intense snog session they had in his parents' bathroom during dinner. "I went to the bathroom to wipe the blush off of my face when he just suddenly entered and decided that he would snog me senseless," Victoire recounted to Millicent.

Millicent squealed in delight, her friend was always thrilled to listen to Victoire and her relationship with Leon. She called him the "Casanova of France," Victoire remembered. Victoire had rolled her eyes at her friend but at the time, secretly relished the fact that she had such a perfect boyfriend. The rest of the year went as smoothly as can be, Victoire had received top grades and her relationship with Leon was going steady.

Before she knew it, it was summer time. As Victoire had agreed, she joined Leon in Paris for two weeks with his family. Leon often vacationed in Paris since he had relatives who resided there. Leon had even been nice enough to offer his hospitality towards Dominique and Louis, to which they happily accepted. Her parents were invited as well but unfortunately, summer was a busy time for Gringotts and both Fleur and Bill would be poured with work.

"This is going to be so much fun! It was so nice of Leon to invite us as well," Dominique exclaimed as she walked with Victoire to meet with Leon; Louis was trailing behind them.

"Yeah, he's nice isn't he," Victoire started, "But you guys better not cause any trouble," she warned, loud enough so that Louis heard as well. She was satisfied when he rolled his eyes and nodded.

Victoire was greeted with a kiss from Leon when the three of them reached the car they would be traveling in. Leon helped Louis lug the trunks into the back of the car while Victoire and Dominique took a seat inside the car, "Bonjour Monsieur et Madame Portier," they greeted.

When Leon and Louis were finally finished, Louis took a seat with Dominique towards the front while Victoire was left with Leon in the back seats. Throughout the car ride, Louis and Dominique chatted animatedly with Leon's parents about all the sights in Paris they were going to visit. Victoire however, only had thoughts about how she was going to spend her time with Leon in the city of love. She couldn't wait to get some alone time with him. They were still under the watch of his parents while they were in the car but Leon had told her that they would be staying at a hotel while his parents stayed with his relatives since there wasn't enough room to fit everyone. Victoire was sure she would have to room with Dominique while Leon roomed with Louis, but that wasn't something they couldn't change later on.

As soon as the group reached their destination, Victoire stared in awe, Paris was better then how she remembered it almost four years ago. The streets were bustling with people getting to work; they were filled with cafes and markets that added to the lively atmosphere. The Portiers had checked the four of them into the hotel before leaving them alone.

When they finished unpacking, Dominique had showed Victoire a brochure of the hotel and mentioned that they offered complementary tour guides. Her sister immediately ran across the room to find their brother and soon waved goodbye as they headed to the lobby to find their tour guide. "Be careful! And make sure to be back before the sun sets!" Victoire warned before her siblings took off.

As soon as she saw her siblings' face disappear from the closing elevator door, she darted across the hallway into Leon's room. When she entered the room, she saw that one side of the room was spotless while the other was extremely messy, which she concluded that it must have been Louis' side. Victoire heard the showerhead running while steam escaped from underneath the bathroom door. Leon was currently taking a shower so Victoire decided to make herself comfortable on his bed. She turned on the telly and surfed the channels before landing on a movie.

After twenty minutes, Victoire had almost forgotten where she was as she watched the movie attentively. She didn't even realize when the bathroom door swung open and Leon had walked out with nothing but a towel around his lower body. It wasn't until Leon sat down next to her and brought his arm around her shoulders that she noticed his presence. "Hey babe," she said distractedly before resting her head on his chest.

Victoire suddenly jumped back when she realized she was lying on his bare chest and that he was practically naked. His bronze hair was still slightly wet and his green eyes bore into hers. Victoire blushed at the sight of Leon's half naked body; he looked like he just walked out of a photo shoot as a model. "Like what you see?" Leon teased; imitating Victoire from the night they had dinner at his house. Victoire swatted his arm before pulling his face towards her and planting a kiss on his lips. "Oui," she whispered into his ears and felt his whole body shake from chuckling.

Just when she was about to get more intimate, the door to the room suddenly opened. Victoire fell off the bed in her surprise and lucky she did because at that moment, she heard Leon's mother. Leon thoughtfully walked to meet his mother at the door so she wouldn't venture further into the room where she would most likely find a flustered Victoire lying on her back. When she was finally done talking to Leon, he closed the door before wondering over to the bed. He found Victoire giggling like a mad woman on the floor. "What so funny?" he asked with a sly grin.

Victoire shook her head, "I can't believe your mum almost caught you and I making out on your bed while you're half naked."

Leon smirked, "Oh you zink zat's funny. I'll give you somezing to really laugh about." He then proceed to tickle her and Victoire let out an infectious laugh before Leon himself had succumbed to laughing along with her as he fell over the bed and joined her on the floor. Victoire had not expected to be laughing her bum off with Leon on the floor when she first came into his room, but that didn't seem to matter at this moment, she was happy.

When the two had finally calmed down. Leon got dressed, but not before they shared a long snog and went down to the hotel restaurant to have lunch. Leon's parents had spared no expenses, everything was top quality and she had to admit, she was enjoying her second experience of Paris more then the first time. Afterwards, Leon took her to the famous Eiffel Tower. The view was even more magnificent from above and Victoire wished she could freeze this moment forever. She snaked her arm around Leon's waist and leaned into his chest, "Thanks for bringing me here," she whispered as the two looked out of the Tower overlooking the majority of Paris.


	8. End of a Chapter

******Disclaimer: JK Rowling owns Harry Potter.**

**Chapter 8 **

"Ted! Wake up," Olivia yelled as she shook Teddy.

"Ten more minutes Liv," Teddy murmured and turned to face the other way.

Olivia stood next to his bed and pounded the covers, "You're going to be late for your first day!" She then folded her arms and counted to five in her head.

In five seconds, Teddy's head shot up before he darted into his bathroom to get ready. Olivia wondered out of Teddy's room and into the kitchen to grab her mug of coffee. Before she could say anything else, Teddy dashed from his room and out the door of their flat after kissing her on the cheeks and waving goodbye.

* * *

Teddy apparated with a pop before his feet landed on the front steps of the Daily Prophet building. During their sixth year when they were suppose to choose their career path so they could take the appropriate NEWT classes, Teddy had been stump on which path he should pursue. Luke was definitely going to be playing professional quidditch while Olivia had decided to pursue a career at the Ministry in their law department.

It wasn't until that Easter break that Teddy voiced his concern to Harry and Ginny. All his life, he wondered if it was his destiny to become an Auror like his parents and godfather; it was just too obvious. But for some reason, Teddy couldn't see himself becoming an Auror. He sat in Harry's office to ask his godfather for some advice.

"Harry, I have no idea what I want to do. And we're suppose to decide by the end of this year so we can take the necessary NEWT classes," Teddy asked exhaustively, he had been over this issue in his head for the past year.

Harry leaned back onto the chair and placed one leg over the other, "Well, do you have any inkling of what you want to do?"

Teddy shook his head, "That's why I'm asking you. How did you know you wanted to be an Auror?"

He immediately took back his question when Harry gave him a knowing look. "Right, you were at war and most of your friends were Aurors," Teddy said to himself.

"Well, it wasn't only that. I wanted to be an Auror because I felt that it was my calling," Harry explained.

After half an hour of discussing his career options with Harry, Ginny walked in to tell the two of them that dinner was ready. When she overheard the conversation, she loosely suggested journalism as a career choice like herself. And for some reason, it had clicked. Teddy had always been a great writer, even when writing letters to his friends; he made sure there was proper punctuation and grammar. How he didn't see it before was beyond him. "Thanks Ginny!" Teddy said as he stood up to pull Ginny up for a hug. Teddy had outgrown most of the Potters and Weasleys so he usually had to bend down or pull someone off the ground for a hug.

Ginny let out a loud laugh, "Next time you have a problem, you should just come to me instead."

"Hey, I'm right here!" Harry exclaimed, feigning hurt as he walked up to his wife before placing his hand around her waist and kissed her forehead.

Teddy had now graduated from Hogwarts and was able to secure an opening position at the Daily Prophet. Ginny had offered to pull some strings to get him higher up but Teddy refused. He wanted to earn his own recognition and build his way up through dedication and hard work as opposed to getting in because he was the godson of Harry Potter.

* * *

"This is definitely not the first impression I was looking to make," Teddy thought as he rushed into the office. Thankfully, he was only a minute late and by the looks of things, no one had noticed. The office was hectic, people running across the hall every few minutes and papers were zooming through the air to reach their intended destinations. Teddy slowly walked through the crowd, admiring the busy environment; this was definitely where he wanted to be.

He was pulled out of his daze when a short wizard standing on top of a table had called him, "Lupin!"

Teddy snapped his head to place the voice to its owner. The stumpy wizard wore a crisp dress robe, his lack of hair made his head shine exceptionally and from the looks of it, he would be Teddy's new boss. "I'm Ted Lupin. This is my first day," Teddy said as he extended a hand.

"Call me Luther," the man said as he shook Teddy's hand lazily. He then navigated Teddy and himself through the busy journalists until they reached a large office. The noise immediately died down when Luther shut the door. He walked over to his chair before pointing for Teddy to sit in the visitor's seat.

For the next few minutes, the two of them sat in silence. Teddy stared nervously around the room while twiddling his thumbs. Luther had not spoken a word since they arrived in the office. Teddy wondered when he could get to work but his questions were soon answered. In that moment, the door had swung open again; an eruption of yelling filled the office before Luther hurriedly told the man to close the door. Once the door was closed, the room was silent again.

"You called sir?" the man asked.

"Yeah, Jonah, meet Lupin. He's the new writer. You'll be keeping watch on him," Luther suggested and without another word, waved the two of them off.

Teddy took this as his cue to stand and leave with Jonah. "Nice meeting you sir," Teddy said curtly but Luther did not say another word. The small wizard was crossing things out furiously with his quill and could not be bothered.

"I'm Jonah by the way," Jonah introduced again when they reached the hall.

Teddy smiled, "I'm Ted." The two men shook hands before they caught an elevator.

"He doesn't call you by your first name until you get the _big one_," Jonah said as they waited in the elevator.

"What do you mean, the _big one_?" Teddy asked as they walked out of the elevator.

Jonah had led Teddy into a small cubicle and placed a stack of papers on the desk as Teddy took his seat. Jonah leaned forward onto the wall of the cubicle, "It means, you're going to have to work your arse off." Jonah smirked before leaving.

"Oh by the way, let me know if you need anything, I'm just down the hall," Jonah added as he pointed to his office.

Teddy nodded absentmindedly until he released he didn't know what he was suppose to do. He turned around but Jonah had left and Teddy didn't really feel like going over to ask. Teddy sighed before flipping through the stack of papers. Meanwhile, a paper had flown unto his desk and Teddy picked it up, looking at it quizzically.

When Teddy unfolded the paper, he furrowed his brow and looked at his watch before jumping out of his seat. "_Make sure to bring Luther a cup of coffee at 10 sharp, Jonah."_

* * *

Teddy currently sat with Jonah at the Leaky cauldron after his first day. "Sorry about that mate," Jonah managed through his continuous laughter.

Teddy rolled his eyes and took a sip of his butterbeer. Apparently, it had been a prank that was pulled on all the newbies. As soon as he walked into Luther's office announcing that he brought his coffee, Luther had thrown him out. "All these young yuppies think they're so funny," Teddy heard Luther mutter before the door slammed in his face. On his way back to his cubicle, Jonah was waiting for him with a big grin plastered on his face. Jonah had said that it was to prepare him for all the advance yelling Luther was going to do from now on. However, the rest of the day was actually tolerable. Teddy was officially put on desk duty, writing small articles that would fill the newspaper in case something didn't make it to deadline.

"But don't worry, you're officially one of us," Jonah said as he threw his hand down on Teddy's shoulders after he finally managed to quell his laughing.

"Yeah, cheers mate," Teddy said as he clang his mug with Jonah's.

When Teddy returned to his flat, Olivia was already there. She was standing in front of the stove top stirring a pot while concentrating on a piece of paper. "How was your day?" she asked effortlessly from the kitchen.

Teddy slumped onto the kitchen chair and rubbed his eyes, "Fine."

He suddenly sat up, "Wait, are you actually cooking?"

Olivia turned to Teddy and threw a dirty look his way, "Well, we can't survive on take out forever. One of us is going to have to learn to cook, and obviously, that's not going to be you." Teddy chuckled; he was currently sharing a flat with Olivia. She had begged him to rent a flat with her and had put up some pretty convincing arguments until he finally gave in. She was definitely going to be a good attorney some day.

But how they got here was a different story. It was just a year ago, when Teddy had broken up with Kenzie and he had caught his two friends snogging in the common room. After that, it was as everyone had guess, Olivia and Luke were finally together. During that time, Teddy had never seen his two friends more happy in the seven years he had known them. Luke had stopped seeing other girls and he became a one-woman man.

It was a tragedy really, Olivia had caught him snogging another girl one night while she was on Head Girl patrol towards the end of their last year. Apparently, Luke had gone back to his ways and Olivia was devastated. For the rest of their seventh year, Olivia avoided Luke as he tried to explain his slip up while begging for her forgiveness. All the while, Teddy had to act as a mediator between the two so they wouldn't kill each other, mostly it was Olivia trying to kill Luke, but the whole situation was unpleasant nonetheless. Teddy never really found out what had really happened since Olivia had since then pretended that Luke didn't exist. Luke was now a professional quidditch player traveling around and Teddy hadn't seen his friend since after their graduation.

When Teddy came back into the kitchen after his quick shower, Olivia was done cooking and the table was set. "Wow Liv, you've really outdone yourself," Teddy said as he continued to dry his hair with a towel.

Olivia shrugged and sat down to eat while she read the late news on the Daily Prophet. This was her usual ritual at dinner; she would read the newspaper while the two of them ate silently. Teddy would occasionally ask her a question and she would obediently answer. Today was no different; Teddy sat himself down and started eating. Olivia's cooking was actually quite decent, although he wasn't surprised, Olivia tended to accomplish anything she put her mind to.

"This tastes great Liv," Teddy complimented.

"Thanks," Olivia answered without looking up from her place.

Teddy scrunched his face; he was starting to get tired of having a one-way conversation with his friend. If he didn't know any better, Olivia was probably still silently grieving over her failed relationship with Luke. Teddy knew Olivia blamed herself for ruining that friendship, she knew all along it was a bad idea but she had given in to her emotions and now, she couldn't even talk to her best friend. "How was your day," Teddy started, attempting to keep the conversation going.

"S'alright. The usual," Olivia answered as she stood up to place the dishes into the sink. Their rule was that whoever cooked or bought the food wouldn't need to wash the dishes and since Olivia cooked, Teddy was going to have to wash their dishes today.

"Olivia!" Teddy called as she walked towards her room. She froze midway but didn't turn to look at Teddy.

"C'mon, you have to snap out of it. This isn't good for you," Teddy started.

When Olivia turned around, her face was blazing red and Teddy could tell she was about to hex him off his chair for bringing up the Luke subject again. "Don't tell me what isn't good for me Ted! I'm dealing with this," she said in a venomous tone.

Teddy took a deep breath and dared to stand up, "Well you don't need to deal with this alone. I'm here for you. You're my friend as much as Luke is."

The moment Teddy mentioned Luke's name, he knew it was a big mistake. "Don't say his name. I hate him!" Olivia yelled from across the room.

Teddy could see that Olivia had started to tear up at this point. Teddy rushed forward to hug Olivia put she pushed him away. "Just let it go Ted," she whispered before she retreated to her bedroom for the rest of the night.

_**Victoire's POV**_

It was currently Victoire's last year in Beauxbatons and although she couldn't wait to start her career as a fashion designer, she had decided on her career since her fifth year, she was sad about leaving the school that she called her second home for the last seven years. It was here that she learned the workings of magic and about her heritage as a witch. It was where she met her best friend Millicent and it was also the place where Leon and her had their first kiss. Leon Portier was her boyfriend of four years and he was perfect.

Victoire giggled as Leon kissed her neck. They were alone at Leon's house for Easter break. Leon had already graduated and his parents had gone to Paris again so Leon invited Victoire over for dinner. Leon had started working and most of the time he had to travel between Paris and Bordeaux so this was the first time in a while that they were together. "Not there," Victoire pleaded as Leon continued to kiss her neck. She was extremely sensitive there and Leon made sure to prey on her weakness.

"Then how about here?" Leon asked as he brought his lips to meet hers. Victoire nodded silently before grabbing Leon's head and pulled his face closer. In one fluid motion, Victoire pulled Leon's shirt off and Leon did the same. Victoire kissed Leon hungrily before his mouth left hers to kiss her body.

Just when Victoire had managed to unbuckle Leon's belt, the doorbell rung. Leon looked up to listen, "Ignore it." Victoire giggled and resumed her attempt at undressing him further. But the doorbell rung once again, this time more urgently as there was a continuous ring. Victoire's head fell back on Leon's bed and she groaned.

"I should get that," Leon suggested and kissed Victoire before putting buckling his pants. Victoire smiled as Leon left the room; admiring how his bottom looked in the jeans she got him last Christmas. After five minutes, Leon still had not returned so Victoire decided to check what was holding him up.

Victoire pulled on the nearest shirt she could find which happened to be Leon's shirt. She snuggled it before she went downstairs. Victoire stared with concentration when Leon noticed her presence and abruptly closed the front door, leaving their guest with a slammed door in their face. "Who was that girl?" Victoire asked. She had seen long brown hair by the door even though she didn't see the person's face.

"It's nobody. They just got the address wrong," Leon said hurriedly. He placed his arm around her shoulders and began leading her up the stairs again. Victoire suddenly stopped when she heard a loud knock on the door from outside. She could see Leon flinch to the sound and she decided to take matters to her own hand. Victoire slipped from Leon's grip and walked to the door. She opened the door slowly before she saw a brunette standing from outside the doorway.

"I'm sorry, you must have the wrong house," Victoire said, repeating what Leon had told her.

The brunette seemed surprised to see Victoire, she stared at her from head to toe and noticed that Victoire was wearing Leon's shirt. "Qui est cette putain vous trichez sur moi avec?" the girl exclaimed to Leon as she pushed Victoire out of the way.

Victoire's mind was a dud, she lied there on the floor, replaying what the girl had just accused Leon of, "Who is this whore you are cheating on me with?" she had asked. After that, all Victoire could hear was the blurred argument that the girl was having with Leon before she slapped him across the face and ran out of the house.

Leon hurried over to Victoire to help her up but all she could ask was, "Is it true?" When Leon hesitated before answering no, Victoire's anger had taken over. She pushed Leon off of her and stood on her feet. In one swift move, she grabbed her wand and threw a hex at him, she didn't care that she still had one month until she was allowed to use magic outside of school. They would just think it was Leon since he was already over seventeen. Without another word, Victoire ran out the door, tears flying out of her eyes.

When she got home, her mother had asked her what happened but Victoire ignored everyone and stayed locked in her room. It wasn't until she heard his voice from the front door that Victoire's temper bubbled over. She slammed her door open and stomped to the stairwell. "Stay out of my life!" she screamed at a hurt looking Leon and before anyone could question her outburst, she retreated to her bedroom. When she heard the front door close, she knew Leon had left and she resumed her crying into her pillow.

* * *

The next few days were a blur for Victoire. She remembered her mother pleading with her to come downstairs to eat. Victoire reluctantly went downstairs after Fleur had promised her that the family wouldn't ask her anything. However, as soon as she entered the kitchen and saw the worried looks on her family's faces, she broke down. "I can't believe he cheated on me," Victoire revealed as she cried into her mother's arms.

After the confession, she noticed that her father and brother had begun keeping a close eye on Leon and made sure that he didn't step one foot onto their lawn. Victoire was appreciative of their efforts because truth be told, she never wanted to see him again. He was her first real love, she had trusted him with her feelings and with her body but it had been an act, he cheated on her.

"Vic," Dominique whispered from behind her door. She opened the door warily when Victoire said it was okay to come in.

"There's someone outside, they said they wanted to talk to you," Dominique said in a small squeak.

Victoire continued lying in her bed, "I don't want to talk to him."

"It's not Leon," Dominique replied. Victoire sat up, she was now confused as to who was waiting to talk to her.

She followed Dominique downstairs to see who the visitor was since Dominique didn't know the person either when Victoire had asked her sister who it was. When Victoire saw the girl that sat on their couch, she was about to pop a vein. "Qu'est-ce que tu veux?" Victoire asked as she gritted her teeth. It was the same brunette that had managed ruined her whole world in one day.

"Can we talk?" the girl asked in English, and surprisingly, in a remorseful tone. Victoire thought for a moment about hexing the girl but she decided she wanted to torture herself and hear her out. Victoire nodded at Dominique and her sister walked away worriedly.

"So talk," Victoire demanded in a deadly voice.

The girl squirmed a little at Victoire's threatening tone and said the one thing Victoire hadn't expected to hear, "I'm sorry."

Victoire had a double take on that, "What?" she yelled.

"I did not know Leon, 'ad a girlfriend. Ee told me ee was, 'ow you say célibataire…single. We 'ave been seeing each ozzer for trois ans, every time he comes to Paris, ze first time was during Chrizmuz," the girl said in a broken French-English.

Victoire took in what the girl had managed to say and tried to recall three years back. When she realized that it was the first time Leon had asked her to join him in Paris and she had declined, she fell onto the floor, looking dazed. The girl stared at her with worry before Victoire finally looked up at the girl, "Merci." The girl took it as her cue to leave and left without another word.

Dominique entered the room soon after, Victoire was sure her sister had heard the whole conversation. "Vic, are you okay?" Dominique asked as she helped her off the floor. Victoire shook her head and cried into Dominique's arms.

**A/N: So I switched it up and made Teddy a journalist instead of the typical Auror. Mostly because the story will not revolve around the magical world for the most part.**


	9. Opening Shop

******A/N: Yeah, I know you're all probably wondering when is it going to be Teddy and Victoire; it's coming. But be patient, this is just the way I planned the story. I wanted to make sure enough time had elapsed that it would be hard for the two of them to recognize each other. It didn't seem realistic if I just put them together again in like three chapters. I have to also mention the fact that I decided to make this story a lot less conventional so like Teddy in the last chapter, Victoire does not have a typical wizarding job. This is an important catalyst for later on when they finally meet.  
**

******Disclaimer: JK Rowling owns Harry Potter.**

**Chapter 9 **

"Victoire, zis is amazing!" Fleur exclaimed as she walked into her daughter's new clothing store. Bill and Fleur had purchase the store for Victoire against her protests; her mother said it was something her grandmother would have wanted from the inheritance she left them. Victoire spent the whole summer decorating the store and designing her pieces. Today was the day before it's grand opening and her family was visiting the store for the first time since Victoire didn't let anyone see the store beforehand.

"Where do you want this?" Louis asked as he held up a box. Victoire directed him to the storage room before returning to give her mother a tour. When her family was finally familiarized with her store, they agreed to go out for lunch. But before Victoire closed up, she saw her sister eyeing one of her new dresses. Victoire smiled to herself before approaching Dominique.

"I'll make sure you get one before it's released," Victoire said and winked.

Dominique looked at her doubtfully, "Who said I wanted it, you know I don't like wearing dresses." Victoire chuckled; her sister had always been the opposite of herself. While Victoire was loud and frank, Dominique had a more reserved nature. Her sister was more interested in academics and quidditch while Victoire was more of a girly girl like their mother had been. However, Victoire noticed over the past year that Dominique was slowly directing her attention more towards prettying herself up. Not that Dominique needed to try hard, the girl was naturally pretty like Victoire; something about having veela blood does that to someone. But she suspected a certain boy had something to do with Dominique's sudden change in behavior.

"Mmhmm, right, well even if you don't want it, I'm still going to make you take it. I need some advertising and what better way than having someone walk around in my clothes," Victoire said coyly.

Dominique seemed to take in what Victoire just said, it did make sense since she would be going back to Beauxbatons for another two years to make her sister's clothing line known to all the students. And she knew Victoire was only saying it to make her feel better but decided to take her up on her offer. "Fine, but only because I want to help you," she said, trying to sound as unattached as possible. Besides, she couldn't wait until a certain boy saw her wearing more feminine clothing, perhaps he will finally see her in a different light.

Victoire rolled her eyes, "Sure, now let's go to lunch. I'm starving!" Both sisters walked out of the store where the rest of the family was waiting.

* * *

The first few months of running the store was harder then Victoire thought. There weren't a lot of customers and those who did come in usually left empty handed. Victoire was beginning to think she didn't have the chops of being a fashion designer like she thought. After taking some losses, Victoire was losing hope that her store would survive past the first year. And she couldn't expect her parents to keep paying for it while she was struggling to find her feet. However, much to her surprise, during Christmas time, there was a sudden influx of customers. A lot of girls and their mothers had come into the shop and purchased her clothes. Victoire was managing to break even for the first time since the opening.

"You can thank me later when you're a rich and famous designer," Dominique said smoothly as she walked into the store.

Victoire looked at her sister with a confused look, "Huh?" She continued to ring customers up while she attempted to coax Dominique for an explanation.

"Looks like your idea worked. As soon as I arrived at Beauxbatons, every girl came up to me asking where I got my clothes and especially that dress! I told them it was from your new store. I was going to mail you about it and possibly help you with mailing orders but I wanted to hear what you thought first," Dominique replied.

Victoire's face brightened up, "That's a great idea Nikki! That way, I can have sales all year long, not just when students are out during break." She ran around the counter and gave her sister a hug.

Customers protested on the line and Victoire threw an apologetic look before returning to the register. "I'll make sure to give you some more clothes," Victoire added.

An idea suddenly popped into Victoire's head, "Hey Nikki, do you want to work here during your free time? I could really use some help," she said as she motioned around her crowded store. "I'll pay you," Victoire added.

Dominique smiled, "I'll just take more clothes as payment." The winter break continued to be hectic for Victoire and she managed to sell out many of her clothes. When Dominique returned to Beauxbatons, Victoire continued her business mostly through mail orders with her sister's help but her in store sales had also continued to rise.

* * *

"Millie!" Victoire exclaimed as she met her friend for lunch one day. Millicent had told Victoire that she was recently let go from her job and Victoire decided to take the afternoon off to cheer her friend up.

"Hey Vic," Millicent said sadly as she hugged her friend.

"Cheer up Millie, I've got something to tell you. Oh and lunch is on me," Victoire declared. Her store had been so successful in the past two years that she was named the up and coming fashion star in Witch Weekly. The two friends mostly talked about life and some gossip during lunch. It wasn't until they were halfway through the meal that Millicent remembered Victoire had something to tell her.

"Oh right Vic, what did you want to tell me?" Millicent asked as she took a sip of her soup.

Victoire smiled, "Well I know how brilliant you are in dealing with business matters and my store is taking off faster then I can handle," Victoire said with an implying tone.

Millicent looked at Victoire with wide eyes, "Don't shit with me Vic, are you serious?"

Victoire gave a playful grin at her friend's choice of words and outburst, Millicent always managed to swear at least once during their conversations. This was something they would need to work on since Victoire couldn't have her friend swearing like a sailor when they were in the public eye but she knew Millicent would be perfect. "I'm serious Millie, you'll be great."

After lunch, Victoire was in a great mood, she had a successful business and just managed to make her friend's day. When she reached the store however, her mood dramatically dampened. Sitting on the front steps was none other then Leon, who was looking down at his shoes before he finally noticed Victoire's presence. He immediately stood up and dusted his clothes off. "Victoire, can we talk?"

Victoire angrily brushed past him and into the store, "I have nothing to talk to you about." It had been over two years since the break up but Leon continued to pester her on and off.

Leon followed in after her, "Please, I love you. Just give me another chance."

Victoire stopped abruptly, causing Leon to almost crash into her. "You love me?" she asked with scrutiny, "Well that was a nice way of proving it, by cheating on me. And why are you still here? It's been two years, let it go!"

"It didn't mean anything with Brigette. It was just a stupid mistake," Leon pleaded.

Victoire was now growing increasingly impatient, "I wouldn't call a three year, long distance relationship a big mistake. Tell me, did you ever plan on telling me or were you just going to hide the fact that you had two girlfriends at the same time for the rest of your life?"

Leon was speechless. He just stood there with sorrow filled eyes waiting for Victoire to miraculously take him back. "Get out of my store, you're pathetic Leon," she scoffed.

Victoire let out the breath she had been holding when he finally left. As much as she hated Leon, she hated herself more because a part of her had loved Leon as well. It had taken a while to get over her break up and it was even harder to move on when Leon kept coming back into her life. She finally sobered up before her break was over and customers came pouring in again.

Unfortunately, that wasn't the last day she saw Leon. In fact, the boy was determined to torture Victoire with his presence. He continued to visit her and told her that he was sorry and that he loved her. Occasionally, he would bring lunch or flowers and usually, they would end up right back at his face. Thankfully, Millicent had begun working at the store and managed to hold him off most of the time but Victoire was beginning to grow tired of his attempts. She honestly wanted to move past this point in her life.

One day after closing, Victoire sat down with Millicent to have a serious talk, "Millie, I can't do this anymore."

_**Teddy's POV**_

It was Teddy's day off so he decided to enjoy himself and just hang around his flat for the whole day. Olivia had since moved out when she started becoming serious with her boyfriend Clark and Teddy had enough income now to afford the flat by himself. He was now a junior editor and was writing more and more stories, even making it to page six last month. Luther had also started calling him by his first name, which meant he was finally a journalist. Although he couldn't say the same for his social life, doing well at work meant Teddy had to sacrifice everything else. He barely had time for his friends and family, the only one he managed to hang out with was Jonah but that was because they worked together.

Teddy was currently sitting on the reclining chair reading the Daily Prophet and secretly admiring his work. When he had finally managed to publish an article, he read it over and over again and nagged his whole family about it. Harry and Ginny were extremely proud of Teddy but the kids for the most part were indifferent. He was just getting to a good part when he heard a knock on the door. Teddy wasn't expecting anyone today but he pulled himself up to reach the door.

"Surprise!" Luke screamed when Teddy opened the door. His friend immediately pulled Teddy in for a hug.

"C'mon let me get a good look at you, big shot journalist now are we?" Luke teased when he let go of Teddy.

Teddy chuckled, "Still getting there, but what about you? Big bad quidditch star now who doesn't even have time to visit."

After Luke settled down, Teddy handed Luke a butterbeer and the two caught up. Teddy learned that Luke was actually back for good this time; his friend was traded to England from Ireland, which is where he had been playing for the past three years. "Hey well look, if you want to crash with your old friend for the time being, I've got an extra room," Teddy suggested.

Luke looked around the room hopelessly before staring into his butterbeer. "So it's safe to assume that you and Olivia don't room together anymore?"

"Oh, I thought you knew mate, Olivia lives with her boyfriend now," Teddy said in a regretful tone.

Luke immediately looked up, his face masked with happiness, "No it's fine. And I'd love to room here," Luke managed.

Teddy could see Luke was feeling down, he probably visited Teddy in the hopes of seeing Olivia in the first place. "C'mon let's go down to the Leaky to grab some firewhiskeys. Your treat," Teddy said with a wink. Luke chuckled and grabbed for his coat and the two friends headed to the Leaky Cauldron.

* * *

As Teddy reached his fifth year working at the Daily Prophet, he was offered a chance to take a sabbatical and go abroad for a year to write in another country. He would still be working for the Daily Prophet but it was a way to sharpen his writing skills and to have a more well rounded view of what was happening outside of England and the wizarding world. Teddy immediately jumped at the opportunity, he always wanted to travel outside of London and this was his chance.

"So where am I going?" Teddy asked Luther when his boss bought him in to the office to talk about the sabbatical.

Luther scrolled through a large piece of parchment until his finger stopped at a line. "I've got you listed for New York City."

Teddy scrunched his face, "You want me to go to America?" Teddy had thought that it would be somewhere closer to England, somewhere in Europe. Instead, Luther caught him off guard and wanted him to go across the pond.

"Is there a problem Ted?" Luther asked as he looked up with a challenging gaze as if he was daring Teddy to protest against him.

Teddy sighed, "S'no problem. I'll start packing." Luther nodded and dismissed Teddy. This would be the first time that Teddy was going to be leaving his family, and for a whole year no less. He had really hoped to stay close but Luther wasn't giving him any other options and Teddy had already agreed to the sabbatical.

On Teddy's last day, Jonah and his other work friends gave him a going away party. "I heard there's going to be a lot of parties and pretty girls over at New York. Don't get too carried away Ted," Jonah joked.

"Hah, I doubt I'll have time for any of that. If it's anything like it is here, I'll be wired to the desk until I come back," Teddy chuckled.

When Teddy got back home, he was shocked when Luke had surprised him with a party. This was now the third party, the first one was with his family last week, and then the one at work and now Luke had thrown him another one. Teddy shook his head and smiled, "Why am I not surprised?" Teddy knew Luke would make any excuse to have a party. He looked around and saw that most of the people there was Luke's teammates and a few of their friends from Hogwarts.

"What kind of friend would I be if I didn't throw a party for you? It's the least I could do before I trash this place for a year," Luke winked.

"Mmhmm," Teddy said as he grabbed the firewhiskey from Luke. Luke laughed and pushed Teddy towards the crowd as he went back to the table for another drink.

By the middle of the party, Teddy was on his way to getting a hangover when he suddenly bumped into someone. "Shoot, sorry about that!" Teddy shouted over the music that was now booming. He was sure his neighbors were going to come up any minute now and throw everyone out.

When Teddy finally managed to compose himself, he noticed that it was actually Olivia whom he bumped into. "Liv! You came to see me off."

Olivia must have realized it was Teddy and beamed before reaching for a hug. "Hey Ted, I haven't seen you for the longest time. Just because I moved out doesn't give you an excuse to not keep in touch mister," she said with a sly grin.

When Teddy finally realized he hadn't told Olivia about the party, he furrowed his brow. "Wait, how did you know about the party? Even I didn't know."

Olivia looked away shyly, "Um, actually Luke invited me. I just got here after work."

Teddy's eyes boggled, "So you two are actually talking again?"

Olivia nodded, "Yeah, but we're taking it slow. I really miss him Ted and just because we couldn't make it work as a couple doesn't mean I should just throw away my friendship."

"Good for you Liv! I'm proud of you," Teddy exclaimed.

Just then Luke walked over to the two of them drunkenly. "Hey there you are, my two best friends," Luke slurred.

Teddy was about to grab for Luke and seat him down but Luke ignored his attempts. His friend was now concentrating on Olivia with such precision that it was almost contradicting with how drunk he was. Olivia immediately blushed, "Ted's right Luke, you should sit down," she insisted as she tried to maneuver Luke onto the couch. When Olivia sat Luke down on the couch, she tripped and fell down on him. Teddy could see the tension between his friends. Just then, there was a loud bang on the door; Teddy rushed to see that it was indeed his neighbor who looked like he could kill.

"Alright, party's over!" Teddy shouted and opened the door to let everyone out. He apologized to his neighbor before he returned to the couch.

"Well I should get going, take care of him Ted," Olivia flustered as she tried to find her purse.

When she finally found her purse, she hugged Teddy and left for the door. But before she could leave, Luke spoke up, "Wait." Teddy and Olivia both turned to face Luke who was now trying to get up from the couch.

Teddy stared at Olivia who was looking increasingly anxious by the second and looked back at Luke. "So that's it? I just kissed you and you act like nothing happened," Luke said.

Teddy looked at his friends in disbelief and when he saw Olivia's face, she had confirmed Luke's comment with her reaction. "Because it was nothing!" Olivia shouted.

"I knew I shouldn't have come," Olivia muttered as she turned to leave but Luke was faster and caught her wrist.

"Don't pretend like you didn't feel that," he challenged.

Teddy backed away and cleared his throat, "Right, well, I'll just go to my room and let you two be."

"No, we're done here," Olivia cut in and pulled her arm away from Luke's grip before she slammed the door and left.

The next morning, Teddy woke up early to catch his portkey. He looked around his flat; he would miss living here for a year. Teddy poured himself a cup of coffee before delving into the Daily Prophet one last time; he doubted he would be able to read it in New York.

"Sorry about ruining the party last night," Luke said as he walked out of his room.

Teddy waved his friend off before offering a cup of coffee to Luke. "Just make sure you don't do something stupid while I'm gone. I don't want to have to come back to find that Olivia already killed you."

Luke chuckled and the two had breakfast before it was finally time for Teddy to leave. "Here goes nothing," he said as the portkey started to glow. Teddy reached for the old tin can and he felt his navel being yanked before his whole body twirled until he finally landed on American soil.


	10. From Behind the Mask

******Disclaimer: JK Rowling owns Harry Potter.**

**Chapter 10 **

"Hey Ted, the boss wants you to go and cover this big party they're having at the Upper East Side," Caleb shouted from across the hall. Teddy was now working at a big newspaper company in New York and despite having his reservations about coming to America; Teddy had taken quite a liking to it and even accepted the extended stay when his one-year was up. Caleb was his work buddy and the one who showed him around when Teddy first got to New York. The atmosphere was quite like London, busy and noisy but it also completely different. There was a unique vibe that New York City gave off and it was something Teddy enjoyed.

"Ugh, why do I always have to do the dirty work?" Teddy groaned. Writing editorials was one of the things Teddy was obligated to do while he was in New York and it was one of his least favorite things to do. Teddy called it a cheap imitation of real journalism where sensationalism carried the article instead of covering actual newsworthy stories.

"This one should be fun though, I heard it's suppose to be this fashion party. A lot of models are going to be there," Caleb said in a singsong voice as he handed Teddy an invitation card. His friend had been trying to hook Teddy up with American girls ever since he got here. Apparently, the yanks loved British accents and girls tended to throw themselves at English blokes like himself but Teddy didn't have time for any shenanigans; he was here to write.

Teddy rolled his eyes, "That just means I'll have a harder time doing my job." As Teddy got up, he heard Caleb call him a "party pooper." Teddy laughed at the phrase, he had been in living in New York for a year but sometimes, he still found it funny at the way they said things here. Teddy shook his head and threw a hand up to Caleb acknowledging his comment before he left.

* * *

Teddy looked at the card once more when he got home. "_You are invited to the launch party of the new brand line of Famous French designer brand, Isabelle. Party will start at 9pm_." He rolled his eyes, "French huh, it's going to be a snob feast." Teddy threw the card onto his coffee table and decided to take a quick shower before picking out a suit. He needed to make himself look presentable; according to his boss Teddy was representing the newspaper and his boss would kill him if he showed up in a t-shirt and jeans.

Teddy searched his closet and found the Hugo Boss suit Caleb had convinced him to buy. It was his first time shopping in New York and Teddy desperately needed a new suit, he couldn't go about walking on the streets wearing dress robes. Caleb had taken him shopping on this famous avenue and convinced Teddy to buy this Hugo Boss brand. Teddy thought the suit looked decent enough on him and decided to buy it. However, when the cashier rang it up, Teddy's head almost popped off. He had pulled Caleb to the side claiming that it was too much but Caleb was persistent and Teddy eventually caved. Mostly because he didn't want to look like a cheap idiot, but he had to admit, the suit came in handy whenever he had to attend a posh event.

Teddy looked at himself in the mirror one last time. He decided to have some fun so he scrunched up his nose and turned his hair blond instead of the brown that he's been wearing to work everyday. Teddy usually preferred wearing his navy blue hair after work but his boss's lecture had been drilled into Teddy mind about looking proper so he decided to go with blond for a change.

* * *

When Teddy reached the entrance of the building, the doorman told him the party was at the roof. Teddy thanked him and stepped into the elevator. On his way up, the elevator stopped many times, each floor another model, Teddy suspected, entered. Their attire was odd, all of them were wearing some type of mask, Teddy just assumed that it was the theme of the fashion show so he didn't think much of it. By the time Teddy reached the top, his nose was inflamed with perfume and he was really glad to get some fresh air.

"Excuse me sir, can I see your invitation?" a burly man wearing sunglasses asked.

Teddy dug through his pockets until he found the invite and handed it to the bouncer. The man nodded to let Teddy in but just before he entered, the bouncer's strong arm stopped him, "Don't you have a mask?"

Teddy looked at the man with confusion, "Why would I have a mask?"

Teddy watched as the bouncer spoke into his earpiece before turning back to him. "Wait here, someone's fetching you a mask. Read the invite next time, this is a masquerade party," he stated as he pointed to the invite card.

Teddy squinted at the card the bouncer was holding, and sure enough it had mentioned that this was a masquerade party. Another man came running to them and handed Teddy a black mask that covered his eyes. "Cheers mate," Teddy said as he raised the mask to his face. He watched the man roll his eyes before he left and mumble something like, "Damn Brits." Teddy shrugged and continued forward.

The scenery was actually quite the opposite of what Teddy had in mind. He thought that the party was going to be really posh and aristocratic. Instead, it was a raging party with blasting music and skimpy half naked models who walked around the large white runway in the middle of the open space. There was also a bar area and food table. Teddy was severely overdressed and he cursed his boss for making it the case.

He decided to suck it up and walk around to take some notes so he could report back. Most of the readers would probably be interested in the celebrities so Teddy wondered around, looking for anyone who was anyone and wrote their name down before approaching them for a small chat. By the time cocktail hour was over, the real show began; if Teddy thought it was loud before, it was even louder now. The lights were dimmed and any chance of seeing anything with a mask on was gone. This was definitely not how he wanted to spend his night.

* * *

Teddy sat at the bar, he was currently consuming some odd concoction the bartender had made and he had to admit, it tasted pretty good. He was suddenly interrupted, "Is this seat taken?"

Teddy looked up to his right and noticed a masked girl looking back at him. Teddy lazily gestured for her to have a seat and turned back to his drink. He wasn't interested in hooking up and if he were to get a girlfriend, it certainly wouldn't be at a place like this. For the next half an hour, Teddy half listened as the girl droned on about her self-importance and how she was going to be the next Cindy Crawford, who by the way Teddy had no clue was. When the girl finally excused herself to visit the loo, he took a deep breath. "Oy, could I get something more stronger mate?" Teddy said as he signaled the bartender for another drink.

As he grabbed for his shot, he looked up at the other end of the bar table and saw a blonde woman talking to a man. Just as she left, Teddy could have sworn she winked at him. And he didn't know why but he found an odd attraction to her even though he couldn't see her face. She had unknowingly made his heart flutter, although Teddy reasoned that it was probably the alcohol. After another two hours of enduring the party, Teddy finally called it a night and left. However, he couldn't rid the sense of enamor he seemed to have developed after the wink the blonde had given him.

_**Victoire's POV**_

"Millie, I can't do this anymore," Victoire had remembered saying. This had been the big turning point in Victoire's career. Soon after that, Victoire and Millicent had devised a plan to expand the business further. Victoire had thinking of expanding her brand but it wasn't until Leon's suffocating appearances that pushed Victoire to make her decision. She decided it would be the best way to get away from him and to start building her fashion empire. And the place she chose to move was none other then New York City, a fashion capital in it's own right. She would still keep her France branch but she would live in New York to oversee her new shops there.

It was a tough decision on her part, she was really moving away from her parents now. But Bill and Fleur had understood their daughter's decision and supported it. Millicent would also be joining Victoire in New York. After a year of careful planning, everything was set and Victoire was going to leave to live in the Big Apple.

* * *

Fast forward a few months, Victoire was currently hosting a launch party at the Upper East Side for her opening. She didn't know how Millicent had managed it but she was thankful for her friend's expertise and left the business side to Millicent. It was Victoire who thought of the masquerade party since her new lines were showcasing patterns and thought that masks would match the attire. On top of that, it provided a sense of mystery that Victoire thought boded well for her brand.

When Victoire decided to expand her line, she also decided to name the American branch, _Isabelle. _Up until this point, her brand was often known as VW in France but she decided to switch things up in New York. Isabelle was the middle name she shared with her mother so she thought it was the perfect name.

The party was a raging success; many celebrities and fashion experts had showed up. Victoire was able to talk to many of them and from their small talk, she was able to pick up some useful pointers. Several had complimented on her clothing designs and expressed interest in purchasing her designs for their stores.

She currently sat at the bar, needing a drink to calm her nerves and excitement, not to mention she was extremely thirsty after having to mingle for most of the night. A man had approached her and flirted shamelessly with her. He even offered to buy her a drink which she accepted. Truth be told, she wasn't interested in him but played along nonetheless. Just when she was about to leave the bar, she heard a welcomed voice. "Oy, could I get something more stronger mate?" she heard, the voice had come from a helplessly charming man wearing a suit sitting at the other end of the bar table. But the part that attracted her most was that he was English, it reminded her of home and her father. Victoire couldn't help but wink at him before she walked back into the crowd.

* * *

The next day, Victoire woke up to a frantic Millicent. Her friend was holding up a newspaper and screaming at it. "Keep it down Millie, my head still hurts from yesterday," Victoire groaned as she threw her head back onto the bed.

She heard Millicent stomp towards her bed before she felt the newspaper whack her in the head. Victoire suddenly sat up and threw a pillow at Millicent, "Prat!"

"You can call me a prat all you want but that doesn't change the fact that this tosser wrote about the party and absolutely bashed it!" Millicent said as she pointed to the article for Victoire to read.

"What?" Victoire screamed before darting her eyes onto the article. She scanned the article quickly before landing at the summary.

_For those of you wondering what you missed at the so called fashion party of the year in the Upper East Side yesterday, I'll tell you right now, absolutely nothing. The party was put together for a teenage college dorm party. If it weren't for the bar and the mildly entertaining bartender, I would have turned around and left before I even entered. The food was horrendous and the music was boisterous. The party was filled with pretentious wannabe celebrities who haven't made it to the big leagues and conversation was a bore. They say that misery loves company, but after attending this party, I'd say pick misery over company any day. Ted Evans_

Victoire's knuckles grew white as she gripped the paper, her eyes threatening to combust the very man who wrote the article. Millicent seemed to notice Victoire was a second away from popping an artery so she snatched the paper from her hand. "Right, I'll take care of this Vic. Just concentrate on selling your clothes, this prick doesn't know a good thing when he sees it," Millicent reasoned.

"I want to talk to him," Victoire demanded in a deadpanned tone.

"Maybe that's not such a good idea Vic, you might murder the bloke in your state," Millicent replied. But Victoire didn't waver, she was going to talk to his guy with or without Millicent's help and her friend knew at this point that Victoire's temper had taken over and there was no arguing with her now. Millicent just hoped this Evans guy wasn't gaunt and could handle a veela at her worst.

_**Teddy's POV**_

"Ted, looks like you've got an angry reader," Caleb said as he read over the letter that was sent to the newspaper.

Teddy continued to type away at his desk, "Yeah, well you can't satisfy everyone."

"Listen to this man," Caleb started as he began to read the letter out loud.

_Dear Mr. Evans_

_I would like to inform you that you are a foul and miserable little man who hides behind his words and doesn't have any idea of what goes on around the world. You think you're so high and mighty with your senseless writing; well let me tell you, you're just another chauvinist pig who knows nothing about the fashion world. In fact, you are ill equipped and I think your editor should rethink their decision in assigning you any more articles to write. _

"What?" Teddy said as he spat out the coffee he had just drank.

Caleb cuts him offs. "Wait, here's the best part, she actually demanding to meet you and quote on quote, help you grow a brain," Caleb said while trying to contain his laughter.

Teddy shook his head in disbelief, "Who's it from?"

"Dunno, it's just signed as VW, but its from that clothing company Isabelle," Caleb responded. "Oh and just in case you want my opinion, I think you should check this out."

Teddy rolled his eyes at Caleb, but couldn't help but consider the thought. He certainly wasn't obligated to change anything since it was written as an editorial but for some reason, he couldn't resist the chance of meeting the woman, he assumed, who actually managed to challenge him intellectually. "You know what Caleb, I just might."

"That a boy!" Caleb said as he pounded Teddy's back. Caleb left the letter on Teddy's table and went back to his office.

Teddy picked up the letter once again, this time reading it for himself. And for some reason he couldn't place his finger on, the writing seemed familiar to him. He shook the thought off before he began dialing the phone number left on the letter.

**A/N: If you're wondering why Teddy signed his name was Ted Evans, hold that thought. There's a simple explanation to that and will be told later on.**


	11. Luke and Olivia

******A/N 1: Updates aren't as quick as I would have liked them to be because truthfully, I had writer's block for the past week. I mean, I have a general idea of how the story will end up but I was lacking inspirations on the details. Thankfully, I have some reserve chapters which is why I am able to update in spite of the writer's block. But I'm happy to say that I have finally written another chapter after a whole week so hopefully, I'm back on schedule. Just a heads up for the future.  
**

******A/N 2: This is strictly a Luke and Olivia chapter as the title depicts. I was debating on when to write this chapter but decided it made sense for now since I didn't want to just abruptly stop their story without more explanation. And since Teddy and Victoire's relationship will be taking center stage for the next few chapters, I wanted to at least devote one chapter for them. Their story doesn't end here though, even if it seems so otherwise.  
**

******Disclaimer: JK Rowling owns Harry Potter.**

**Chapter 11 **

_**Olivia's POV**_

She was only trying to lead Luke onto Teddy's couch but instead; she fell on top of him. They stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity; even when someone knocked on the door, their eyes never left each other. Suddenly, while everyone else cleared out, Luke pulled her closer and without warning, he kissed her. It was a small kiss but it was enough to bring back the hurt memories Olivia had long stored away. But could she really blame him? He was drunk and she let it pass. When Teddy came back to check on them, Olivia stood up to leave.

"Well I should get going, take care of him Ted," she said in a state of panic as she tried to find her purse. She finally found the bag on the chair and ran for the door. But it seemed like Luke wasn't as drunk as she thought.

"Wait," he called out. Olivia shut her eyes and begged him to not say anything.

"So that's it? I just kissed you and you act like nothing happened," Luke said.

Olivia watched as Teddy stare at the two of them in disbelief, she knew she had let her face show that they had indeed kissed but she didn't care at this moment. "Because it was nothing!" she shouted. Olivia wanted to believe what she just said with all her heart.

"I knew I shouldn't have come," she muttered. She thought that she could handle being friends with Luke again but she underestimated the power he had over her. She turned to leave again but Luke caught her wrist.

"Don't pretend like you didn't feel that," he challenged with a fierce face.

Teddy backed away and cleared his throat, "Right, well, I'll just go to my room and let you two be."

"No, we're done here," Olivia cut in and yanked her arm away from Luke's grip before she slammed the door and left. She was thankful that Luke had not gone after her because she honestly didn't know if she could resist him. No, she needed to move on for good, she was with Clark, she reminded herself.

* * *

Before she entered her flat, she took deep breaths and fixed her flustered appearance. When she unlocked the door, the room was dark, which was unusual because she assumed Clark would have been home already. "Clark?" she called.

At the sound of her voice, the lights turned on and Clark appeared standing in front of the dinning table. When Olivia looked closer, she noticed the normally plain table was dressed with a white tablecloth. On top of the table, there were two candles, two sets of plates and two wine glasses. Olivia clutched her chest in surprise, "You did this for me?"

Clark smirked, "No, I was waiting for someone else who isn't my girlfriend to show up and surprise them with a romantic dinner."

Olivia immediately smiled and swatted Clark in the arm, "You prat!"

Clark grabbed her by the waist and kissed her. "But you're my prat," Olivia whispered into his ear.

"M'lady," Clark said as he pulled out a chair for her. With a wave of his wand, he summoned food that he had already prepared. Clark was actually an excellent chef and Olivia was thankful because even though she was decent, she didn't enjoy the strenuous task. Olivia's eyes sparkled in awe as she looked from one side of the table to the other. She was shocked and overwhelmed, so much so that she had forgotten about her angry bout with Luke.

After the last course was finished, Olivia readied herself to clean the dishes. However, Clark didn't let her stand up and instead, kissed her fervently. "Clark, I don't want the dishes to accumulate," Olivia giggled but couldn't contain herself and kissed him back.

Clark smirked against her lips before pulling back. Olivia gave a pout, Clark had made her want him in the first place and now he was stopping. Clark grinned before kneeling onto the floor. His hand reached into his pocket and pulled out a small velvet box. And before Olivia could erase her pout, Clark had opened the box.

"Olivia Claire White, will you marry me?" Clark asked, his brown eyes staring back her with love. Olivia started tearing up and before she knew it, she had leaned over Clark and kissed him.

"Yes," she said while nodding. Clark immediately pulled her into a hug and twirled them around. Olivia's laugh filled the room and when she was finally let down, Clark placed the ring onto her finger. Olivia gave a sly look at Clark before heading into the bedroom. It was silent for a few minutes before she opened the door by a slit and motioned with her finger for Clark to come into the bedroom.

_**Luke's POV**_

It was a week after Teddy's surprise party, his friend had left to America and he was now alone in the flat. Luke had been pacing around the flat, doing nothing but thinking of Olivia and how he had missed his chance with her. She looked demented from their last meeting after he had kissed her. Even though Luke knew she had a boyfriend, he couldn't help himself, after three years apart, he still felt the same for her and the kiss had proven it true. He knew what he had to do; he was going to fight for her. Luke decided to go straight to her office since his letters had gone unanswered.

* * *

"Luke, how can I help you?" Olivia asked in a friendly voice. Luke had arrived at the Ministry's law department and demanded to see her. The secretary had let him in without hesitation and from the looks of it, Olivia wasn't mad at him anymore. In fact, she seemed more chipper then usual and Luke decided this was the perfect time to make his move.

"Liv, you're not mad at me?" Luke asked cautiously.

Olivia furrowed her brow, "Why would I be mad at you?"

"No reason," he replied quickly. "I was wondering if you have time right now, maybe we can get some lunch?" Luke asked hopefully.

"Hmmm sorry, but I'm kind of swamped with case work today. But I have a small break I can take right now so if you wanted to talk," Olivia said as she finished writing a note.

Luke nodded and sat down on the visitor's chair. He looked at her and he knew she would notice his obvious stare but he didn't care. She was beautiful, her long ravenous hair tied up in a messy bun, her blue eyes were currently violet under the lighting and her smile was contagious. Luke immediately found himself smiling before glancing down. However, what he saw caused the grin to slide off of his face, he felt his chest tighten.

"Luke?" Olivia asked as she waved her hand in front of him in an attempt to snap him back to reality.

He suddenly became bitter as he eyed the ring that was on her left hand. Olivia must have noticed where he was staring because she immediately withdrew her hand. "Oh, that…" she started.

"OH?" Luke asked exasperatedly. "You have a damn ring on your finger and you didn't even bother to tell me?" Luke said and found himself standing up abruptly.

"I didn't think it mattered that much," Olivia whispered as she tried to look away from Luke. His gaze was penetrating and relentless.

"I'm your best friend Liv, how could you not tell me!" Luke shouted.

This had set Olivia off. "Best friend? Tell me Luke, do all best friends snog their friend when they know said friend already has a boyfriend?" Olivia shouted.

"Well, I don't want to just be your best friend anymore," Luke whispered as he rounded the desk that was previously separating them. He could see her breathing deepen as he walked closer. She tried to back away from him but was cornered. Luke now stood in front of Olivia with her back pressed against the wall. Luke dared to inch his face next to hers as he breathed in her scent. He started to lean in to kiss her but she turned away.

"Don't," she whispered in a halfhearted threatening tone. Luke knew by her voice that she wouldn't deny him; he tilted her face towards him and smiled as if saying that he wouldn't hurt her. He then closed the distance and pressed his lips onto hers. Slowly but surely, she opened her mouth to allow him entrance. Luke grabbed her by the waist and pulled her closer.

Before they knew it, Luke had swept everything off of her desk and they were lying on top of the flat table. Their clothes had been thrown in all directions. In the heat of the moment, Olivia had moved her hips along his and the next thing he knew, he was doing the one thing that he had been dreaming of ever since Olivia agreed to date him in their sixth year. But the moment was gone just as quickly as it started, for Olivia seemed to have finally come to her senses.

"What the hell are we doing!" she cried as she pushed him out of her and quickly pulled on her clothes.

"I can believe you did that to me," she said. The disappointment painted on her face killed Luke.

"I'm sorry," Luke whispered.

"No, I'm sorry. I can't do this anymore, this isn't fair to Clark," Olivia started.

Luke looked up with hope but it didn't last long. "I can't see you anymore. You can't see me anymore, I love Clark," she finished. The last part had pierced through his heart like a sharp stake.

_**Olivia's POV**_

It had been a busy month and a half for Olivia. A local incident had caused the law department to overflow with work. She had more cases then she could handle but she didn't complain because if she had work, she didn't have to worry about the wedding, not to mention the little slip she had with Luke. Olivia decided it was better if Clark didn't find out about it. Her wedding was to take place in seven months and the thought of planning it was dreadful. She was going to leave it off until later when she had more time. However, it seemed like she had been overworked because lately, she had begun feeling very sick. As of lately, she wakes up in the morning feeling nauseous and always have weird cravings at night. Clark had been pushing her to see a healer but Olivia didn't have the time.

But today was the last draw. Clark had made Olivia's favorite dinner because she was getting really picky about her foods. Olivia was ecstatic but when she took one bite of the chicken, she ran to the bathroom and started vomiting. Clark didn't wait any longer and dragged her to see a healer. Olivia was now lying on a St. Mungos bed, waiting to hear the results from the healers.

"You're going to be fine honey," Clark assured her.

Just then, the healer walked in with her file, "Yes, you are indeed going to be fine."

"So, it's not the flu or anything bad?" Olivia asked warily.

The healer chuckled, "No, quite the opposite. You are actually pregnant. I'd say you're about six or seven weeks along."

The healer continued reciting congratulations and listing the do's and don'ts, but all Olivia could hear was _pregnant. _"We're having a baby," she repeated to no one in particular, her face expressionless.

"We're having a baby!" Clark shouted before kissing Olivia on the forehead.

Olivia finally managed to smile before breaking into a happy sob, "I'm having a baby."

After finding out about the pregnancy, Olivia decided to move up the wedding so instead of waiting seven months, it would be in two months now. However, that also meant that she could not put the planning on hold anymore so she decided to take some time off of work.

* * *

Olivia was currently standing in front of Clark, the wizard standing beside them had just announced them husband and wife. "You may kiss the bride," he finished. In one fell swoop, Clark leaned down and kissed her, Olivia heard the crowd cheer and she had never been happier than this moment in her life. She had a career that she loved, a husband and soon to be baby. She had dreamed of this day for a long time but there was one thing that was still missing, her two best friends.

Teddy unfortunately was in America and had expressed his regrets about not being able to attend her short notice wedding due to his restricted schedule but promised to make it up to her when he got back. Luke however, was a different story. She had debated on whether she should invite him but in the end, decided that as her friend, he should be invited. Unfortunately, he had not responded to her R.S.V.P. and was currently nowhere in sight. She resigned to the idea that he was just doing what she had asked him, to not see each other anymore.

Thankfully, Clark had enough energy and bliss for the both of them and Olivia managed to enjoy the rest of her wedding without worrying about her missing friends.

_**Luke's POV**_

When Luke received the invitation, it had been a slap to the face. He knew she was engaged and that obviously meant a wedding was suppose to follow but he had secretly wished she wouldn't go through with it. But this wedding invitation had somehow sealed the deal. He didn't bother to answer it because if he did, it would mean that he was approving her relationship with Clark.

However, on the day of the wedding, where he had initially planned on drinking the day away, he came to his senses. He finally understood, that if he loved her, he was supposed to let her go. Luke quickly got dressed and apparated to the wedding. He waited until it started; he was only going to be there for a short time so he didn't want anyone seeing him.

Luke watched as Olivia walk down the isle with her father. She looked like the most beautiful woman he'd ever lead eyes on. He followed her until she stood at the alter with Clark. After the vows and ring exchanges, she was pronounced wife to Clark. Luke watched as they kissed, it was painful but at the same time, he was happy for her. He felt his tears streak down his cheeks, he hadn't cried in years but he thought this was the perfect time. "Goodbye Liv," Luke apparated away without another thought.


	12. In the Dark

******Disclaimer: JK Rowling owns Harry Potter.**

**Chapter 12 **

Teddy currently sat at the table looking at his watch. He was suppose to meet the person from the clothing brand, _Isabelle. _When Teddy called, an English woman had responded much to Teddy's surprise. She told him that the CEO would be available today and asked him to make reservations at a restaurant. It was now twenty minutes after their meeting time and this woman still had yet to show her face. Teddy wondered if this was just one big ploy and she was just going to blow him off to get back at him for the article.

Just as Teddy had almost given up waiting, a flustered woman came running into the restaurant. Everyone looked up at her before she made her way to the hostess. When the hostess pointed at Teddy, he was relieved, it seemed like she had indeed showed up. The woman had braided brown hair and was wearing a skirt suit.

"Are you Ted Evans?" she asked when she reached Teddy's table.

Teddy immediately stood up to offer her a handshake, "Yes, and you are?" Teddy had begun using Evans as a surname when he wrote editorials and such to keep his reputation as a serious journalist in tact. He decided to use Evans after Harry's mum.

The woman sat down, "Oh, right where are my manners. I'm Millicent Moreau."

Teddy scrunched his nose, "But the person who wrote the letter signed it as VW, you're not the person who wrote me the letter then."

Millicent nodded and placed her napkin over her lap, "Yes, I'm the person you talked to on the phone the other day. Vi," Millicent started but was cut off when the passing waiter spilled water onto her.

"I'm so sorry ma'am!" the waiter said apologetically while trying to dry her off with the napkins. Millicent held her two hands up as if to say it was okay.

"Sorry Mr. Evans but our CEO got held up this morning so she couldn't make it. She sent me in place, hope you don't mind," Millicent said in a business like voice.

Teddy shook his head, "S'no problem. Call me Ted. So what did you want to talk to me about?"

"Well you probably know why I'm here. That article really didn't do our company any justice and put us in an unfavorable light. As head of communications, I have to handle the press and such you understand," Millicent said. Teddy nodded for her to continue.

"I'm here to make a deal. You write another article about our company, one that is more _accurate. _In return, we can get you more stories in the fashion industry," Millicent started.

Teddy held his hand up, "Sorry to burst your bubble but I'm not interested in covering more tabloid news. The party was a one time type of deal."

"Right, I had a feeling you would say that, but, you don't necessarily have to be the one who covers the stories in the future. Think of it as an investment for your newspaper as a whole. I'm sure the arts and leisure section would be begging to get inside access to the fashion industry, especially since we have prominent connections in France. You're a guy, but I'm guessing there's a large target for news like ours?" Millicent said with confidence. She knew she had this in the bag.

Teddy looked at her warily, "I suppose I can do that. But I'll have to talk to my editor about it first."

Millicent nodded, "That's all I ask." Millicent waved to the waiter and asked him to bring over a bottle of chardonnay.

"Well, it's a pleasure doing business with you Ted," Millicent said as she stood up.

"Wait, you're not going to at least stay for a meal? You just ordered a bottle of wine," Ted asked.

Millicent pulled her purse up to her shoulders, "Consider it a gift from _Isabelle._ And I'd love to stay but I'm quite busy. We'll keep in touch though." With that, she whipped around and left the restaurant.

"You've got to be kidding me," Teddy chuckled.

* * *

"Wait, so she basically bribed you into writing another article?" Caleb asked in disbelief. Teddy nodded.

"And then she bought a bottle of wine and left?" Teddy nodded again and Caleb collapsed in laughter.

"Piss off you git," Teddy said as he rolled his eyes, "I've got to go talk to Mal about this now."

Mallory Greene was the editor in chief for the newspaper Teddy was working for in America. He was a stern man who did anything to increase his worth and the newspaper's reputation. Teddy had no qualms that Mal would indeed accept Millicent's proposal. After five minutes of explaining the set up to Mal, his boss had agreed and allowed Teddy to write another article and even praised Teddy for getting a follow up.

"It's a go," Teddy said as he gave a thumbs up to Caleb.

"Awesome, now let's open this baby," Caleb said as he popped the bottle of chardonnay.

Their celebration was cut short when Mallory almost walked in on the two of them taking sips of wine. Caleb decided that they would go to a club tonight since it was a Friday. Teddy agreed unwillingly, he had a knowing feeling that Caleb was trying to set him up again. This happened every time they visited the club, Caleb would get piss drunk and ask girls if they wanted to go out with Teddy. Teddy would always refuse politely before dragging Caleb home.

* * *

The club was in full swing by the time Teddy and Caleb arrived. As usual, Caleb pulled Teddy towards the bar and ordered two shots for them. "So, see any girl who might have a chance with _the_ Ted Lupin?" Caleb teased as he nudged Teddy.

Teddy downed the shot; "We're not doing this today."

Caleb feigned disappointment, "C'mon man, you've been here for over a year. American girls not to your taste?"

Teddy chuckled before signaling the bartender for another round. "Don't mess around mate."

"You see that's what I'm talking about. Chicks dig that!" Caleb said excitedly.

Teddy gave a confused look, "Chicks dig me saying _mate_?"

Caleb shot Teddy an obvious look, "They dig the British act."

"I'm not acting British, I am," Teddy refuted.

"C'mon, I dare you to ask one of these girls out," Caleb suggest as he pointed around the room. Teddy shook his head and chuckled. Caleb was exceedingly persistent today and was surprised that his friend was less drunk then he was by the time their conversation ended. Caleb had been too busy trying to convince Teddy so Teddy drank enough for the both of them.

When Teddy had one too much drinks, he suddenly felt overly gallant. "Hey Caleb, which one of these girls did you say would like me?" Teddy slurred.

Caleb smile grew into a large grin, "How about that one," he pointed to a red head dancing in the corner.

Teddy squinted to see before he shook his head, "No, not her."

"Well how about that one?" Caleb suggested to a brunette that was sitting at the other end of the bar. Teddy shook his head once more.

Caleb searched the room before his eyes landed on a blonde that was dancing on the floor, "That one."

Teddy followed his friend's gaze and found the girl that Caleb was pointing at. Teddy took another sip of his drink before he got off the stool and started making his way toward the girl.

"Do you want to dance?" Teddy asked the blonde, he made sure to emphasize his English accent.

The girl looked ahead of him before smiling at him, "Sure." Teddy was caught off guard when she suddenly pulled him closer and started grinding on him. Despite being drunk, Teddy was slightly embarrassed at the girl's forwardness but he had to admit, it felt nice to be this close to a girl. He had been so focused on his career that he never had time for a social life anymore. And for some reason, she made it easy for him to enjoy himself; she had this allure about her that made him want to dance with her instead of all the other girls Caleb had suggested.

Suddenly he heard someone from behind him scream. When Teddy began to turn his head to see who was calling from behind, the girl turned to face him and pulled him down for a kiss. Teddy instinctively closed his eyes to sooth into the heated kiss. It lasted for only a few seconds but Teddy felt more then he ever felt with Kenzie or with any other one-night hook ups he had. But before he got a chance to do anything else, she pulled apart and leaned up to his ears. "Thanks for the dance," she said in a husky voice that made the hairs on the back of his neck stand. She let go of him and winked before running out of sight.

Teddy stood there speechless. He felt a tingling sensation in his stomach, his heart fluttered fast, threatening to explode at that moment. However, his daze was broken when someone pushed past him. The guy shot a killing look at Teddy before he left the same way the girl had gone.

Teddy remembered very little the next day. To his surprise, Caleb had actually been the responsible one for once and brought the two of them home. Teddy was drunk out of his mind but there was one thing he did remember, the girl who took his breath away.

_**Victoire's POV**_

Victoire was about to leave the office to meet the writer from the newspaper. She had pulled on her coat and grabbed her purse. She even made it down the elevator before Leon stopped her at the lobby. Victoire had stopped in her tracks when she saw her ex-boyfriend standing in the middle of the lobby. Victoire immediately started to turn away but unfortunately, Leon had spotted her.

"Victoire, wait!" he shouted.

Victoire stopped walking and took a deep breath. "It's alright Vic, you can handle it," she reminded herself before turning around to face him.

"Leon, I have a meeting right now. Can we deal with whatever excuse you're about to spute later?" Victoire said in a nasty growl.

"No, I'm not leaving until we talk," Leon demanded. He reached to touch her cheeks but she slapped it away.

"Don't touch me. We are not together anymore. It's over and I will never come back to you," Victoire snarled.

Leon calculated his thoughts, "Zen at least let me take you to lunch, I just want to talk."

Victoire threw her head back in submission, "Fine. But I have to do one thing. Wait here, I need to tell Millicent something."

Leon smiled and Victoire stepped back into the elevator. When she reached the top floor she looked around for her friend. "Millie, can you go meet that writer? Leon just showed up," she said while giving Millicent a knowing look.

"You sure you're going to be okay?" Millicent asked in a worrying tone. Victoire nodded silently before Millicent agreed to take her meeting.

* * *

Lunch was torture. Victoire sat opposite of Leon, mostly staring at her food and listening to Leon apologize and explain his side of the story. But it didn't matter what he said, it went in one ear and out the other. Victoire had decided that she didn't want Leon back and if it took her sitting through a whole lunch with him getting whatever he wanted to get off his chest, then she would.

"Well thank you for lunch," Victoire said in a robotic tone as she stood up to leave.

Leon looked at her with an odd look and before she could stop him, he had lunged forward and kissed her. She struggled a bit before she could pull him off of her. Victoire slapped him with such force that she hurt her own hand. "Don't ever kiss me again!" she raged before she stomped out of the restaurant. She didn't care how many people were staring; her anger could no longer be suppressed.

Millicent had to lock Victoire in her office when she returned to the building. Victoire was showing serious signs of her veela temper and that was not the kind of display she wanted the others to see, especially since most of them were muggles. When Victoire had finally calmed down, Millicent fetched her a glass of water, "So that scum just kissed you out of no where?"

"I'm starting to seriously wish for his early death," Victoire said while she gritted her teeth.

Millicent rubbed Victoire back giving her a weak smile. "Hey how about we go to the club today and get drunk." Victoire couldn't help but smile at her friend's attempt at cheering her up.

* * *

Victoire immediately ordered three shots when she arrived at the bar. She needed to cool down and just wash away her feelings after the day she had. "Come on, let's dance," Victoire said boldly and pulled Millicent with her to the dance floor. The girls dance for the next hour, just letting loose. They had also gotten a few offers from men who had been watching longingly to dance. And each time, Victoire just shrugged and agreed to dance with them. Millicent had apparently picked up a suitor she actually didn't find annoying so she left early. Victoire decided to stay longer, she needed to get everything out of her system.

She continued dancing until suddenly, she spotted the one person that enter the club who would make this cleansing night a waste; Leon had just walked into the club much to her dismay. Victoire decided that she wasn't going to leave on his account; she was there first and was determined to continue her fun. And she mostly hoped that the club was big enough for her to evade him. However, despite the fact that the club was relatively large and was very dim, Leon had spotted her once again. He was now heading towards her and she tried to plan her escape.

Victoire must have been concentrating too hard because she didn't even notice that a guy had just walked up to her. "Do you want to dance?" the man asked with a slurred speech. And however loud the club was, she noticed that he was speaking in an English accent. He was emphasizing it heavily, and perhaps it was just another American trying to impress her with an accent but she took it anyways.

She looked behind him once more and saw that Leon was currently preoccupied with trying to squeeze through the crowd. This was the perfect opportunity to distract herself and she hoped that Leon would take the hint. "Sure," she said before she pulled him closer to her. She turned around and started grinding on him to the music. Despite being so forward, she knew no guy could resist her and she was right. The man placed his hands on her hips and they swayed to the beat.

For some reason, the man's touch burned Victoire and it sent shivers up her spine. She had danced with many men tonight, but none of them managed to provoke the intensity she felt right now. Unfortunately, Leon had caught up and he was close enough that she heard him when he screamed. As much as she wanted to keep dancing in the man's arms, she had to leave before Leon caught her.

She decided to take things into her own hands; she turned around to face the man. The club was dim but even so, she could see his handsome features. He had brown hair, a strong jaw and was quite tall. She could tell because usually, her head would reach their noses but this bloke was actually a whole head taller then her. It was quite refreshing for her to not be with a guy where she was almost as tall as them. Victoire pulled his head down and kissed him, and it was enough to prove her initial thoughts. The kiss made her stomach lurch and as much as she wanted to continue to explore, she saw from the corner of her eye that Leon was coming.

Victoire pulled apart and leaned toward his ear, "Thanks for the dance," she said in her husky voice, the tone that she used when she wanted a guy to yearn for her. She had been doing it unknowingly all her life but it wasn't until Millicent had told her that she found out how useful it was at making men want her.

Her friend had asked her how to do it so she could attract more men to which Victoire embarrassingly revealed that it just came naturally to her. Millicent had understood and claimed for her that it was just one of the many tools in her repertoire of man catching tactics that Victoire had been graced with because of her veela blood. And her friend had been right and Victoire found herself using it more often. But this time in particular, she thought was most appropriate.

Victoire winked as she let go of him. Without another word, she ran through the crowds to escape Leon when he finally made it past the crowds separating the both of them. Despite being drunk, the passionate kiss had awakened her. Victoire didn't know why but for some reason, that kiss had left her with a familiar feeling. She couldn't quite place her finger on it, but she had felt the same way once before after she had been kissed.


	13. Close Calls

**********A/N: Okay, this chapter will be in a different format. There is a lot of switching back and forth between Teddy and Victoire. Basically, it's a collection of "Close Calls" between the two and I've made sure to separate them so you'll know when the scene changes. ************When I started writing it in this format, I was imagining their positions as if it was a movie and described parts of it as if everything was omnipresent.** Hope you like the change, but don't worry if you don't, this is only a one time thing I was trying out...but if you did enjoy it, feel free to comment as well.  


**********Disclaimer: JK Rowling owns Harry Potter.**

**Chapter 13**

On a grey and gloomy day in the city, unbeknownst to both Teddy and Victoire, they were each standing on adjacent corners of the same block. The rain was pouring violently as the sky's thunderous roars trembled through the city. Both were stuck under a building, waiting for the unexpected storm to pass.

_**Teddy's POV**_

Teddy waited around a crowd of people taking cover from the unforgiving rain. He painstakingly wished that he could escape to an empty space so that he could apparate but there was no such luck. Apparently, the meteorologists were wrong again and no one came prepared for the rain. All he could do was wait it out and hoped that he wouldn't have to stay there all night.

He slowly pulled out the slip of paper that had occupied his mind the whole day. Teddy had found the paper when he was emptying out his pockets the other day. When he realized what it was, he was conflicted. The note had read, "Call me, V." Below that, there was a messily scribbled phone number. At first he had no idea where the paper had come from, but then he realized that it had to be the girl who he had danced with at the club a few days ago.

Teddy had been holding back on dialing the number. He was hesitant because he was afraid that it was too good to be true and that his heightened feelings were a result of his intoxication. And aside from that, he only met the girl that one night and yet she had slipped him her number without him knowing. But the rain didn't seem like it was letting up anytime soon so he decided to pass the time and finally call the number. Teddy pressed each button with force, making sure it got through. He held his phone up to his ear and waited for it to ring.

_**Victoire's POV**_

Victoire stood at the corner of a block; she pulled her coat closer to her neck before linking her hands together to bring some warmth into her fingers. She was definitely not in the mood to be held up today and thoroughly wished that there were less people standing with her so she could apparate back to her flat. Work had been difficult today, and the office was a chaotic mess. The stores had been pushing them to show the new designs and Victoire hadn't slept in days. She desperately wanted to get home for a good nights rest after sleeping at the office for two days straight.

Her coat pocket suddenly started vibrating. She fumbled her shivering hand into the pocket to retrieve her phone. Victoire hoped that it was not the office because she barely made it out of there today. When she saw that it was an unknown number, she decided to ignore it for the time being. If it wasn't important, she preferred to preserve her energy into keeping herself warm.

* * *

After the shower had passed, everyone went on their way. Victoire reached the intersection as Teddy approached the crossing at the same time. Both were only separated by a foot of space between them. Victoire suddenly remembered the phone call and decided to call the unknown caller back. She hastily dialed the number and began walking.

Everything flashed in a blink of an eye; a honk came from the left while she had been calling the number. But there was no accident about a car crash to be reported for the news that night, because right before she crossed, an arm had yanked her back. Victoire had been taken by surprise; so much so that her phone had fallen onto the ground and when the car passed, it was crushed.

_**Teddy's POV**_

It was on instinct really, an oncoming car had honked and in a split second, Teddy reached to his right and yanked the woman back. She had been busily dialing her phone and had not paid attention to the crossing lights. He had pulled her back with such force that her phone slipped from her hands and the car crushed it while it drove by.

At that moment, the lights switched and the crowd of people proceeded. Teddy only caught the woman for a split second, her blonde hair breezed by, before he was forced to walk across. He did however hear her curse at her misfortune. Teddy shook his head, if there was one thing he learned from living in New York; it was that people were too obsessed with their phones.

It was a week later before Teddy attempted to call the number again. He had received a generic message the first time he called asking him to leave a message. Again, Teddy retraced the buttons he dialed last week and waited for an answer. Once again, no one had answered, however, this time it was worse. The phone company had stated that the number was no longer in use. Teddy furrowed his brow trying to reason why the girl had given him her number if she didn't intend to speak with him again.

_**Victoire's POV**_

After her near death experience, Victoire was visibly shaken. But it soon dissipated when she came around to the fact that she was still alive, thankfully. Victoire didn't even get a chance to thank the man who had saved her because soon after the incident, the crowd has started crossing and she had been pushed on her way. Sadly, she had lost her phone in the collision and was now in need of a new one. If it hadn't been so crowded, Victoire would have immediately repaired it with magic but with so many muggle witnesses, she had no choice but to leave it.

Although the phone had some important contacts and messages, it was nothing she couldn't replace. Millicent had brilliantly back up everything for her and she could easily purchase a new phone but there was one down side. Victoire had given the man in the club her current number, and with her phone now in the dead zone, it had indefinitely severed any chances for a second meeting.

* * *

_**Teddy's POV**_

After work, Teddy had decided to walk home. On his way, he passed a store with many tellys on display. Teddy was thankful that he paid attention when Arthur Weasley had introduced the kids to muggle contraptions when they were younger. It made it easier for Teddy to assimilate into the muggle world when he arrived in New York. He suddenly stopped when he recognized the face that was currently being displayed on the telly.

It was the woman from the designer company; Teddy jogged his memory until he remembered her name, Millicent. She was currently having an interview with a news station and Teddy lingered for a while before he decided to continue home.

Unbeknownst to him was that at the moment he turned away from the telly, the host had introduced and welcomed another person onto the set; the designer of Isabelle was also there to talk about the new line. And had he stayed, he would have learned that the designer was none other then his childhood friend.

* * *

_**Victoire's POV**_

Victoire had finally managed to squeeze in time for the newspaper interview Millicent had set up for her. When she asked the secretary for a Ted Evans, she had told Victoire that Mr. Evans was actually out sick. Just when Victoire was about to turn to leave, someone called out to her. It seemed like he had heard the conversation, "Hey, are you looking for Ted?"

Victoire smiled, "Yes, I'm here to have the interview with Mr. Evans, I'm from the designer company, Isabelle."

The man slapped his forehead, "Oh right! Yes, well I can help you with that instead. I work with Ted. I'm Caleb by the way."

Victoire eyed the office to signal him to proceed with their business. Caleb lead her into his office, "I'm Victoire by the way. Thank you for seeing me instead. I'm actually pretty busy so if you hadn't caught me, it might have been another month before I had time to come here again."

The interview had taken a little under an hour and afterwards, Caleb assured her that this time, the article would be more pleasant.

_**Teddy's POV**_

"Hey, thanks for covering for me mate, that cold hit me out of no where," Teddy said after Caleb told him that his appointment had showed up last week.

"No problem, at least we don't need to bother with that anymore though. Mal said he would be assigning the editorial stories to someone else. Back to more important matters for you now," Caleb replied with a smirked.

Just before disbanding, Caleb called out to Teddy again. "Hey, what ever happened to that girl at the club?" he asked curiously.

Teddy chuckled, "Nothing. The number was a dud, it's not in service anymore."

Caleb scrunched his face, "Really? Damn, I guess I owe Jim five bucks."

"What?" Teddy exclaimed.

"Well I sort of made a bet with Jim that it was going to work out…but she didn't even give you a working number?" Caleb asked in disbelief.

"Actually, I called her once before. The thing is, the phone had rang but she just didn't pick up. But the second time I called, that's when it stopped working," Teddy said.

"I say it's time we visit the club again," Caleb said with a wide grin as he wiggled his eyebrows knowingly. Teddy rolled his eyes before pushing Caleb out of the office.

* * *

_**Victoire's POV**_

It was once again Friday and when Millicent asked Victoire where she wanted to hang out tonight, Victoire offered to go to the club again. Millicent shrugged it off and agreed to meet her there later that night. What her friend didn't know was that Victoire was secretly hoping that she would meet the same guy again. Despite having only met him that night, she couldn't deny the surge of feelings she had and that alone was enough for her to hope.

When Victoire and Millicent arrived at the club, Victoire refrained from drinking this time which surprised her friend. She only had a drink right now because some guy had ordered it for her despite her refusals. Millicent had wondered off to find another bloke; it was apparently her friend's goal to get as many American guys as she could manage. Victoire on the other hand had been taken down a peg after her break up with Leon, she was more cautious nowadays.

Thankfully, Leon had finally returned to France when it finally became apparent to him that she wasn't getting back with him. But Victoire knew better now, her sister had mailed her some time afterwards. Apparently, she was wrong, Leon still had more room to stoop lower because the girl that he was cheating on her with, Brigette had become pregnant. And according to her, Leon was the father.

Her thoughts were pushed back when she overheard a conversation taking place one seat over. She didn't bother looking up but had she; she would have realized that one of the men was the same man who worked at the newspaper, Caleb. Victoire didn't catch much of the conversation except that one of the men was pushing the other to go dance with some girls. After failing to convince the other man, one of them stood up and walked onto the dance floor.

"Not into the dating scene are we?" Victoire asked as she swirled her olive in her glass.

_**Teddy's POV**_

Caleb had just left to go dance with some girls after failing to convince Teddy to tag along. It wasn't even a minute before someone had spoken to him, "Not into the dating scene are we?" Teddy chuckled, feeling a little embarrassed that she had heard their conversation.

"Yeah, well I wasn't even in the mood of coming out today," Teddy responded and looked up. "So what's your excuse?"

The girl looked up and smiled before downing her martini. "Maybe if you buy me a drink, I'll tell you."

Teddy chuckled before signaling the bartender to purchase a round for himself and the girl. "So, are you going to tell me now?"

The girl drank the drink in one gulp before answering. "Not really into dating right now. Crazy ex-boyfriend just got out of my life," she said before slamming the cup down. "So why did you agree to come if you didn't feel like coming?"

"Couldn't find it in my heart to ditch my friend, he desperately needed me to be his wingman," Teddy responded cheekily. He heard the girl chuckled to his answer.

"The real question is, why are you here if you're not looking for a date?" Teddy asked as he finished his drink and signaled for another round.

_**Victoire's POV**_

Victoire raised a glass to the man as a thanks for another drink before she got to answering his question. She was prolonging it because in all honesty, it was a bit embarrassing to tell a stranger that you were hoping to meet a guy who you met after drunkenly dancing together because you felt something when you snogged him. She threw the shot back, feeling quite brave, she answered, "Don't laugh but I was hoping to meet this guy I met about a month ago. My ex had showed up before we could really talk."

Victoire looked over at the man and could see that he was wearing a grin, "Okay, go ahead and let it out." He let out a chuckle while Victoire rolled her eyes.

"It's quite alright, I've been in a similar situation, except no crazy ex involved," he said in a serious tone but Victoire could hear the smirk that he was trying to suppress. The man then stood up to take the seat next to Victoire's to close their distance. Victoire pushed his shoulder but threw him a smile to say that she wasn't offended by his tease.

_**Teddy's POV**_

Teddy watched the girl in amusement. He was surprised at playful he was and how easy it was to talk to her. He decided to close the distance between them and took the seat next to hers. He was finally able to appreciate her delicate features up close. She had platinum blonde hair and although he couldn't really discern her eyes since the club was dim; he knew it was a beautiful color. She looked almost too beautiful to be true and he suddenly felt his confidence falter.

Sure, he had danced with that girl last month without hesitation but that was because he was drunk and being drunk empowered one with courage. Today was a different story; Teddy was still sober and couldn't believe how smooth he had been. Not that he was intending to pick up a girl tonight but for some reason, he wanted to keep talking to her. And then it all came back to him, the girl who he danced with last month, and how the girl who he was currently talking to mentioned the same situation just now.

Just when Teddy was about to ask her to confirm his realization, someone had stumbled in front of them. It seemed to be her friend because she didn't look surprised at the other girl's sudden appearance. When the other girl had finally turned enough for Teddy to see her face, Teddy was shocked. He recognized her immediately as Millicent Moreau. But before Teddy could comprehend what was going on, the girl he was talking to stood up.

"I'm really sorry but I have to take my friend home, she got a little too drunk," she said apologetically. "It was nice talking with," she started again but was cut off.

"Vic! Hurry up, I think I'm about to hurl," Millicent called out.

"It was nice talking with you," she finished and before Teddy could respond, she had left to attend to Millicent. Before Teddy could soak in the sudden abundance of information in its entirety, he ran out the door. Sadly, they were gone.


	14. Reunion in the Making

**************Disclaimer: JK Rowling owns Harry Potter.**

**Chapter 14 **

Teddy stood outside the club, dumbfounded. His mind went back and forth trying to make sense of everything before he finally came to a conclusion, and as much as he couldn't believe it, he thought it. He had figured that the girl he had been talking to for the past half hour was the same girl he danced with, and regrettably, he didn't figure it out sooner. But the real shock came when Millicent had called out the girl's name, Vic.

He immediately ran back into the club to search for Caleb. When he found his friend dancing drunkenly with a group of girls, he pushed past them and dragged Caleb out. His friend had protested but Teddy didn't care, he needed to confirm his suspicions. "Caleb, listen to me, do you remember the name of the girl who you interviewed last week? The one from the designer brand Isabelle?" Teddy asked hurriedly. How could he had not seen it earlier, Isabelle was Victoire's middle name, and she had signed her letter with VW which was clearly her initials.

"Umm," Caleb stumbled, he was still trying to gain his composure. "I think it was Veronica? No wait, it was some weird French name, Vic something," he concluded.

That was all Teddy needed to hear, he let Caleb stumbled back into the bar before he apparated back to his flat. The number had no longer worked but there was something that never failed, magic. When muggle ways failed, Teddy knew he always had magic to fall back on. It wasn't the most conventional option he had seeing as muggle fireplaces weren't equipped for floo calls but Teddy was desperate.

* * *

Teddy's face suddenly appeared at the other end, the Potter's house. He could see that his sudden call had surprised Ginny because when he called her, she had jumped out of her shoes.

"Teddy!" Ginny exclaimed when she realized it was Teddy. "How are you doing over there? When are you coming back?" Ginny continued to bludgeon him with questions but Teddy wasn't really calling to have Sunday tea with Ginny as much as he missed her and the rest of the Potters. Thankfully, Harry had just entered the room.

"Who are you talking to Gin?" Harry asked before he saw Teddy's face. Harry immediately saw the urgency in Teddy's face and gave Ginny a knowing look which she recognized. She looked at Teddy embarrassingly, "Sorry Ted, what did you want to talk about?"

"I was wondering, have you been in touch with Bill and Fleur recently?" Teddy asked hopefully.

Harry and Ginny both scrunched their faces and looked at each other before shaking their head, "Sorry Ted, you know how busy they are and with them living in France, they visit as often as Charlie," Ginny answered. Teddy knew Charlie Weasley rarely visited the rest of the family in England because he was always busy with dragons in Romania.

Suddenly, Teddy watched as Harry's eyes lit up. "Wait, actually, I saw Bill a few months ago, yeah," Harry started.

"Wait, how come he didn't come visit me?" Ginny asked, apparently offended that her brother had chosen to skip out on her.

Harry chuckled, "It was an unexpected business visit, he didn't have time. I just happened to be at Gringotts that day."

Teddy was starting to grow impatient, Harry and Ginny were starting on their old married couple act and he didn't have time for that. Teddy coughed and Harry realized he was still there so he continued. "Yeah Bill and Fleur are great. They said they might visit next Christmas since the kids are all out on their own now. Nikki is working at the French ministry and Louis is at the dragon reservation with Charlie!" Harry said excitedly.

"How's Vicky?" Ginny asked, seemingly excited to hear how her niece was doing.

"Vic's actually a fashion designer. Bill said she was doing really good in France but decided to move to America a few years ago," Harry answered.

"Oi Ted, how long has it been since you last saw Vicky?" Ginny asked suddenly as she began counting in her head.

Too long was the answer to her question, Teddy was ashamed of himself for losing contact with his best childhood friend. He could blame it on distance but the truth was, as they got older, they just grew apart. "I'd say over ten years at least!" Ginny concluded, breaking Teddy's train of thought.

"Wait, Harry, did you said Vicky was in America? Where?" Ginny asked after coming to the realization that Teddy and Victoire were both living in America now.

"I believe, New York was what Bill told me," Harry said as he tried to jog his memory.

Ginny looked back at Teddy excitedly, "That's great. Ted, maybe you guys could bump into each other."

Teddy stared at Ginny with a hesitant look, "I think we might have already met." And before Ginny could question Teddy any further, she could have gone on for the whole night, Teddy asked if they could ask Bill and Fleur for Victoire's address. Harry agreed to floo him back when he found out before dragging his wife away.

* * *

Teddy's heart pounded his chest as he waited in anticipation for Harry to floo him back with Victoire's address. He hadn't seen Victoire in over ten years as his best friend and was quite eager to finally talk to her, not as a stranger but as a friend. However, all the excitement had made Teddy forget about one thing. How was he going to explain his feelings for her?

Teddy had felt something with her, the same girl he had once called family and still was although technically it could be argued that they weren't technically blood related. The thought was weird nonetheless. How will she react when the truth comes out? If she was any other girl, he wouldn't have had a second thought to pursue her romantically but now that he knew it was Victoire, the tables were turned. But if Teddy was honest with himself, the answer was clear, he wouldn't mind expanding their friendship towards the romantic side.

Luckily, Harry had gotten back to him fairly quickly and Teddy deducted that it must have been his inside connections with the wizarding world that he was able to return the call so quickly. Teddy scribbled down the address Harry told him before he apparated and landed just outside of Victoire's flat.

_**Victoire's POV**_

It was currently very late at night, Victoire had just taken Millicent home and made sure her friend was in bed. It took a while before Victoire could leave because Millicent was extremely hung over and had hurled continuously for a good hour before her stomach seemed to have finally settled down. Victoire was now walking up to her flat but stopped short when she noticed a man standing in front of her door. She suddenly became very cautious and grabbed a hold of her wand as she eyed the man from the corner. It wasn't the first time some drunkard had followed her home from the club.

She waited there for ten minutes but the man hadn't budged. Victoire was starting to grow tired so she decided that she would get into her flat from the fire escape instead. She had done it before during a game of truth or dare with Millicent. As Victoire began to turn, the floor under her creaked. She cursed under her breath and hoped that the noise hadn't trigger the man to look her way. Unfortunately, he was quite attentive and immediately looked her way.

"Shit!" she said in a low whisper and began running the other way as fast as she could.

But she didn't get far, because at that moment, the man had called after her, "Vic, wait!" Victoire halted in her tracks, the man had known her name. And on top of that, there were only a few people who actually called her by her nickname. Victoire slowly turned around and when she came face to face with the man, she scrunched her face in confusion.

"You're the guy from the bar!" Victoire said as she came to the realization that he looked familiar. She watched as he man scratch the back of his neck. He looked like he was holding something back.

"How did you know where I live?" she asked, hoping that he had a reasonable answer because she really liked him and hoped he wasn't some crazy stalker killer who had followed her. She had figured that he knew her name because he must have heard Millicent call her by her nickname at the club.

"Don't freak out okay?" he warned. Victoire nodded for him to continue, this was going to be fun, hearing him explain himself but she made sure she had a tight grip on her wand in case things got serious.

"I know you," he started.

"Well I know that, we did meet at the bar," Victoire cut him off.

"No, but I know you, like I know your parents are Bill and Fleur Weasley. You have a sister named Dominique and a brother named Louis. You're half English and half French," he rambled. It seemed like he was prolonging his main point and Victoire's temper was beginning to flare. She was really beginning to think that her theory of crazy stalker killer was true.

Victoire was about to whip out her wand and fire a hex before she suddenly stopped after she heard him say something. It was quick but Victoire had heard it. But it couldn't be true, she hadn't seen him in years. Could it really be him? "It's me, Teddy!" he repeated, making sure that she heard him since she had been silent for the past minute.

And as soon as he scrunched his nose to change the color of his hair to that familiar navy blue, that was all the confirmation Victoire needed. "Teddy!" she yelled as she tackled him.

After they got over the surprise, Victoire invited Teddy into her flat. "You know, if you would have said who you were a second later, you would probably be lying on the floor right now," Victoire admitted as she heated up a pot of tea.

Teddy chuckled, "I'm not surprised." Victoire threw him a dirty look before laughing at the situation. When the pot was boiled, she poured both of them a cup of tea.

"So how did you know my address?" Victoire asked curiously. She hadn't talked to Teddy in over ten years so she knew she hadn't told him.

"I asked your parents. Well I asked Harry to ask your parents," he corrected.

"Mmhmm, finally realized you missed your friend?" she asked teasingly. She knew he wasn't the only one to blame for them losing touch but she couldn't help but fall back to their easy bantering. And aside from that, she really wanted to keep her mind off of how she felt about Teddy. Victoire had finally realized that Teddy was the man she had been feeling something for and now that she knew it was actually Teddy, she wasn't sure if she was allowed to feel that way anymore. For the first time in a long time, Victoire wasn't as confident as she normally was.

Teddy had chuckled at her question. "Yeah, I thought after over ten years, it was time for me to see how you were doing," he joked.

They talked a bit more but when the question of careers came up, Teddy had suddenly paused. Victoire looked at her friend questioningly before Teddy threw an apologetic look at her. "I'm really sorry Vic," he started.

"Sorry about what?" she asked.

"Well, the thing is. I'm Ted Evans," he said warily and watched her closely to gauge her reaction.

At first Victoire was confused, "Why did change your last name and what does it have to do with your job?"

However, as soon as the words had left her mouth, she understood. She stood up to confront Teddy but it seemed like he was ready for her. He immediately jumped out of his seat and ran. Victoire chased Teddy for the next five minutes as Teddy laughed while trying to avoid her deadly grip.

Victoire decided to take matters into her own hands and reached for her wand before throwing a binding spell at Teddy's legs. He instantly fell onto the ground behind her couch. Proud that she had out smarted Teddy, she ran around her couch to catch Teddy but to her surprise, he wasn't there. She continued to turn but was suddenly caught off guard when Teddy pulled her down with him. He held her arms and began tickling her.

Victoire's laugh filled the flat as she tried in vain to escape his grip. She was close to tears before he finally stopped after she agreed to unbind his legs. With a flick of her wand, the spell was reversed and Teddy moved his legs to access that there was no permanent damage.

When the laughter had quelled, Victoire was suddenly left in an awkward position in Teddy's arms as they stared into each other's eyes. For a second, she thought she was going to snog him then and there but came to her senses before she did something she might regret later. He seemed to have been thinking the same thing because the next moment, they both pulled apart at the same time. Teddy stood up first and offered her a hand.

"Well, I should be going," Teddy said as he scratched his neck, something Victoire now realized should have been a telling sign that it was Teddy from the start. He used to always do it when they were kids, especially when he was nervous.

Victoire nodded shyly as she tried to hide her face behind her curtain of hair. She could feel the blush making its way up to her cheeks and was trying to conceal it from Teddy. When she felt Teddy was no longer looking at her and had went to gather up his things, she looked up. "We'll talk soon," she added.

"Definitely," he replied and smiled at her.

"It was really nice seeing you again Teddy," Victoire said as she led him out the door.

"It was really nice seeing you again Vic," Teddy whispered as he bent down to give her a hug. And at that moment, she hated that her feelings for him hadn't changed. His touch had once again breathed new life into her and she longed for him to kiss her again. But she knew it couldn't happen. This was not what she had in mind when she finally met Teddy again. She could tell it was going to be a battle for her to keep her feelings in check. Victoire didn't want to lose Teddy so soon so she decided to put the romantic tendencies on the back burner for now.


	15. Through the Looking Glass

**********A/N: I will be referring to an actual place in New York City so for those of you who don't live in NY, hope you are imaginative and enjoy the chapter all the same.  
**

**********Disclaimer: JK Rowling owns Harry Potter.**

**Chapter 15 **

"Just a minute Teddy!" Victoire called out as she shuffled the papers on her desk. They had agreed to go out for dinner to catch up and Teddy was there to pick her up. However, Victoire had been extremely busy the whole day that she lost track of time so when Teddy showed up, she was completely taken by surprise. Teddy had offered to reschedule but she insisted that they keep their reservation.

When she was finally ready, she locked up her office. Teddy was currently sitting on the couch outside chatting with Millicent. Her friend was shocked when Victoire told her that the gaudy journalist was actually her childhood friend. However, she decided to skip out on the part where she had found herself being attracted to Teddy and that it was the first time since her break up with Leon that she felt any inclination to actually give dating a chance. She didn't want her friend who would no doubt encourage a rendezvous between the two to get involved. Victoire knew better and as much as she had felt something, this was Teddy for Merlin's sake. And aside from the fact that he had yet to bring up anything that had happened between the two of them, which meat he probably shot the idea down the moment he found out it was her.

"Ready to go?" Teddy asked as his eyes twinkled at her; it suddenly made her a little weak at the knees but she recovered. His whole appearance had made her weak to be honest. He had a playful way about himself, it was as if he had outgrown his shy self although he still retain some traces. He was incredibly tall standing at six foot four and was fit as hell. The only thing that hadn't changed was his warm honey brown eyes, and the fact that he could change his hair whenever he felt like which was currently a shade of navy blue.

"Yup, see you tomorrow?" Victoire directed to Millicent. Her friend nodded and they were on their way.

"So where are you taking me?" Victoire asked while she and Teddy walked through the busy streets of New York.

Teddy smiled down her, "You'll like it, I promise."

Victoire smirked, "And how could you possibly know I'll like it?"

"Cause I'm your best friend," he responded cheekily.

Victoire shook her head submissively, even though she wanted to point out the fact that they haven't seen each other in over ten years and there was little chance he could know of her tastes nowadays, she was curious and decided to let Teddy lead the way. Suddenly, Teddy pulled her to the side and began hailing a cab.

"Wait, I thought you said it was in the city. Why do we need a cab?" Victoire asked with a suspicious tone.

"Can't you just trust that I know what I'm doing?" Teddy asked playfully.

* * *

They were apparently very close to their destination because Teddy had made her put on a blindfold. When the cab stopped, Teddy carefully led Victoire out of the car and paid the driver. Victoire suddenly felt a sense of familiarity with the atmosphere, it had been a long time but she could tell she was by the waters. Victoire's thoughts immediately went to Shell Cottage, her childhood home that was built next to the beach. Although the place she currently stood wasn't the beach, she enjoyed the feeling nonetheless.

"Surprise!" Teddy said after they came to a stop and took her blindfold off. Victoire took in her surroundings and smiled. They currently stood on a dock of some sort; there were boats in the harbor and seagulls circling the skies.

"Wow," was all Victoire could manage. Having to work nonstop left little time for Victoire to explore, this was the first time she was visiting what Teddy had called South Street Seaport.

Victoire felt Teddy place his hands on both her shoulders and she immediately felt his warmth thrive through her body, she had been feeling a little chilly by the dock. "That's not the best part," he whispered in her ear, which made her shiver even more. He turned her around to face the boardwalk.

* * *

"This was the best fish and chips place I know. When I first came here, I was feeling a bit homesick so Caleb bought me here. Been coming here at least once a month so I thought I'd share it with you," Teddy finished. They were currently sitting in a little shack that served seafood.

Victoire took a bite of the fried fish, the savory taste of the fish melted into her mouth and she was immediately reminded again of her childhood when she still lived in England. After having to move to France, her mother mostly made French cuisine so she technically hadn't eaten fish and chips in over ten years. She looked at her food sadly; she didn't realize just how much she had missed England.

Teddy seemed to have noticed her sad look but mistook it for something else. "You don't like it," he said mostly to himself. He slapped his greasy hand onto his forehead, "I forgot, France would be home for you. We can go to a French place next time Vic."

Victoire shook her head and pulled Teddy's hand away from his face, "No, this is perfect. I missed England."

She casually grazed his face with her napkin to wipe away the mess he made, "I missed you too." Victoire didn't even notice the tone of her voice had dropped and she was now staring into Teddy's brown eyes with a touch of intimacy.

"I missed you too Vic," Teddy said and touched the hand that she was using to wipe his face. Victoire froze at his touch, she might have imagined it but she could have sworn that Teddy was looking at her the same way she had been staring at him.

Unfortunately, the moment had passed when the waitress came over with their drinks. Victoire abruptly pulled her hand away and sat up straight while the waitress placed their drinks on the table. Teddy smiled at the server before turning his attention back at Victoire. She however was now looking back at her food, trying not to look at Teddy. If Teddy had sensed a change in her, he didn't voice it. Instead, for the rest of the meal, they relied on small talk to carry them through. When they were finished, Teddy insisted on paying even though Victoire suspected that she earned more money then him and had offered to pay.

* * *

"Do you want to walk around, the view is beautiful at dusk," Teddy suggested. Victoire nodded excitedly and they began their slow walk around the dock.

The temperature had dropped and Victoire was really wishing she had worn more, she hadn't expected Teddy to bring her to a seaport and being near the water made the air considerably cooler. Victoire rubbed her hands against her arms in an attempt to warm herself up but Teddy had saved her the trouble. He draped his jacket over her shoulders and pulled her closer. It felt like old times when they were younger, Teddy always took care of her. "Thanks," she whispered.

As they began walking, Victoire found herself unconsciously leaning closer into Teddy. She even pulled his jacket closer to her neck and when he wasn't looking, she pulled the collar up to her nose to take in his scent. It wasn't exactly how she remembered but she was able to pick up his distinctive smell from the new additions of paper and ink he no doubt picked up from his job working at the newspaper.

Victoire immediately dropped her grip on the jacket and snapped her head when she heard Teddy break the silence, "So, I've met Millicent, when am I meeting this Leon character you use to talk so much about?"

Victoire's body stiffed at the sound of her ex-boyfriend's name and she suddenly stopped in her tracks. She hadn't really talked to anyone about her break up aside from her family and Millicent and even then, she hadn't told them everything. The only person who knew everything was her sister Dominique; whom Victoire would have never guessed would be the person to be her secret keeper since they were so different but she knew she could trust her sister.

She sighed, she knew she had to tell Teddy about Leon, he was a big part of her life and if she wanted to reconnect with Teddy, she would eventually have to tell him. "Teddy, you never knew this because it happened after we stopped mailing each other but Leon actually became my boyfriend. We were together until my seventh year when I found out he was cheating on me for most of our relationship." Victoire looked up at Teddy before she continued. He stayed silent but had a look on his face that she couldn't quite gauge.

"Well afterwards, he wouldn't leave me alone even though I made it clear I never wanted to see his cheating arse again. That's when I decided to move here, it was the perfect excuse since it fitted my career and was far enough from France. Unfortunately, he followed me here," she finished.

"He's still here?" Teddy asked as he gritted his teeth, which caused Victoire look up at him again, it had been subtle but she definitely heard it. When she looked down again, she noticed his hand was clenched in a fist, so hard that his knuckles had gone white.

"No he finally went back to France a few months ago, apparently he was still with the other woman while he tired to coax me back and she's now pregnant. I guess he didn't really have a choice after that," Victoire chuckled. After which, Victoire noticed Teddy had become visibly more relaxed.

"So what about you, how's your dating life going?" Victoire asked with a bubbly voice, trying to steer the conversation away from her somber relationship.

She noticed that Teddy had been in deep thought because he was flustered when she asked him the question. "Me? Oh you know, been too busy to really date. Had a girlfriend back at Hogwarts but broke up with her after she got to be too much," he said nonchalantly.

Victoire suddenly gave him a smug smile as she thought of something, "Just humor me, would you have asked me out at the bar if Millie hadn't interrupted?"

Teddy's face began to burn bright red before he managed to morph it away but Victoire had caught it. She watched as he began scratching the back of his neck, a telling sign that he was uncomfortable. Teddy stumbled to respond but Victoire began giggling before she decided to put him out of his misery, "It's okay, I was just playing around." Teddy seemed relieved.

"Besides, dating your best friend isn't the brightest idea," she continued, her voice lowering just a bit. Victoire seemed to have been in her own world because she didn't notice that just as she said this, Teddy had frowned.

They suddenly came across an odd looking contraption Victoire had never seen before. She pulled Teddy forward, "Hey, what's that?"

"Oh, those are kind of like omnioculars, they let you see things more up close," Teddy responded.

"Really?" Victoire asked before aligning her sight with the two holes.

She frowned when she couldn't see anything, "It's all black."

Teddy chuckled before reaching into his pockets. "That's because you have to pay," he said as he pulled out a quarter and placed it into the machine.

"I knew that," Victoire smiled before looking inside the binoculars.

"That's beautiful," Victoire said in an amazed tone as she stared into the city's skyline, the sun had set and the skyscrapers were now all lit up.

"Yeah, beautiful," Teddy responded in a daze.

Victoire pulled herself up, "Do you want to have a look?" She was going to let Teddy take a peek but realized he hadn't been staring at the skyline; he was staring at her. When he didn't respond to her question, she scrunched her face in confusion, "Teddy?" she called out to him.

He snapped out of his gaze when she asked the second time, "Teddy, come have a look." Victoire looked back into the binoculars but frowned when she noticed that it had turned black again, "Hey, it's black again."

"There's a time limit on those," Teddy explained.

"Aw, you didn't get to see. Wait, let me check if I have another quarter," Victoire muffled as she dug through her purse.

"S'alright, I've seen it a million times already," Teddy said.

Regardless, Victoire had found a quarter and popped it in again, insisting that Teddy look through it. "Well you can't say it's beautiful without seeing it up close," she said while looking through the holes again to check if it was working.

While she had been looking through the holes, Teddy had said something but the breeze muffled his speech. "What did you say?" Victoire asked before she gestured for him to have a look. Teddy obliged and looked through the holes but not before stating that he hadn't said anything. Victoire could have sworn he said something but she dropped it.

_**Teddy's POV**_

Teddy found himself growing increasingly mad while Victoire continued to speak about her relationship with Leon. He had encouraged her to befriend the git and even approved of it. In a way, Teddy felt he was responsible for her getting hurt. Even after such a long time, Teddy still felt protective of Victoire, except unlike before, there was another emotion he was feeling, jealousy.

"So what about you, how's your dating life going?" she had asked in an overly happy tone. Teddy knew she was trying to move away from their conversation.

"Me? Oh you know, been too busy to really date. Had a girlfriend back at Hogwarts but broke up with her after she got to be too much," he responded nonchalantly. It was the truth and his dating life was honestly very boring.

Suddenly, he noticed Victoire had begun to smile smugly. Teddy began feeling a bit scared at what she was going to say, Victoire always had a knack for bringing up painfully uncomfortable situations. At the next moment, his suspicions were proven true, "Just humor me, would you have asked me out at the bar if Millie hadn't interrupted?"

Teddy felt his face grow warm and heart beat at an uneven pace. He promptly morphed the blush away and began scratching the back of his neck. "Did she really expect me to answer that? And would I have asked her?" he thought to himself. But Teddy knew the answer already; he would have. The only problem was, how was he suppose to tell her that he fancied her given their past relationship and the family that they practically shared.

"It's okay, I was just playing around," she finally said. Teddy was relieved, he wasn't ready to answer that question.

"Besides, dating your best friend isn't the brightest idea," she continued but looked away from him. Teddy couldn't help but feel let down by her statement. She had just diminished any chance of a relationship and despite the hurdles, Teddy had hoped that there was still a window of opportunity had he chosen to pursue it in the future. But it gutted him that she didn't feel the same way.

Their attention was soon turned to a set of binoculars. Victoire had wondered towards it asking what it did. Teddy had a similar reaction when he first saw it when Caleb had bought him here. He pulled out a quarter and inserted it into the machine before Victoire looked into it.

She had grown so much since the last time he saw her. She wasn't the same girl he remembered, Victoire was now a woman, something that Teddy had a hard time coming to terms with because he was now attracted to her. Her platinum blonde hair was pulled into a messy bun with a few stray hairs framing her face. His eyes trailed down her body, studying every curve before staring down her endlessly long legs that was made to look even longer with the nude heels she was wearing. Teddy thanked his lucky stars that he was still taller then her even in heels though, that was always one thing he had going for him.

"That's beautiful," Victoire said in a tone that reminded him of how he reacted when he first saw Hogwarts.

"Yeah, beautiful," Teddy responded in a daze, he was still staring at Victoire.

Teddy continued to stare and vaguely heard her ask a question. It was only when she called again that he finally snapped out of it. "Teddy, come have a look," she said before looking back into the binoculars.

"Hey, it's black again," she frowned.

"There's a time limit on those," Teddy explained.

"Aw, you didn't get to see. Wait, let me check if I have another quarter," Victoire muffled as she dug through her purse.

"S'alright, I've seen it a million times already," Teddy said. He hadn't but his view was just fine from where he was standing.

Despite Teddy's statement, Victoire continued to dig through her bag before she found a quarter. "Aha!" she yelled triumphantly.

"Well you can't say it's beautiful without seeing it up close," she said while looking through the holes again to check if it was working.

"It's more beautiful from where I'm standing," Teddy had whispered mainly to himself.

Victoire looked up from the machine. "What did you say?" she asked before she gestured for him to have a look.

Teddy walked forward, after all, if he didn't, she would suspect something. "I didn't say anything," he lied before looking through the spectacles. Teddy had to admit, the view was beautiful but if he had to choose, he would pick staring at Victoire over the skyline any day.


	16. Just Visiting

**A/N: Luke and Olivia are back!  
**

**************Disclaimer: JK Rowling owns Harry Potter.**

**Chapter 16 **

It was currently lunchtime and Victoire was walking towards her usual lunch spot in Central Park. The park was one of the first places she had visited when she arrived in New York and she absolutely adored the scenery. She often came here during her lunch breaks because she enjoyed the openness it provided. Victoire usually came with Millicent but today; her friend had a lunch date with some man she met in the club. Victoire had been use to this for these past months; Millicent had actually started dating someone and seemed to be taking it seriously.

Just as she was about to dig into her salad, a man had interrupted her, "Excuse me do you happen to know where Central Park is?"

If it was any other New Yorker, you would have laughed at him but she noticed the English accent he had spoken with, he must have been a tourist. "Actually, you're in it," she said while gesturing to the whole park.

The man immediately started to chuckle, "Right that was embarrassing." Victoire brushed it off with a chuckle of her own.

"Hey, you're English as well?" he asked, noticing that Victoire had an accent of her own.

Victoire nodded. "Do you mind?" he asked while gesturing to the empty seat in front of Victoire.

"Please," she replied, pointing to the seat. Victoire was surprised at herself for being so inviting with a stranger but she couldn't get over how easy going the man was. Not to mention, incredibly good looking; he had sandy blond hair that hung over his bright blue eyes. He was also well built; his shirt had clung to his body, displaying his chest admirably.

"I'm Lucas," the man said as he held out his hand and smiled at her warmly.

"I'm Vic," Victoire replied, "So what brings you here?"

Victoire noticed the smirk that grew on his face, "Actually, you did."

"Excuse me?" Victoire asked with a slightly confused tone.

The man chuckled, "Couldn't resist a pretty girl."

Victoire's face burned bright red, "You weren't really lost were you?"

Lucas shook his head, "Well, that wouldn't be entirely true. I'm lost in your eyes right now."

And if Victoire's face couldn't possibly get any redder, it did. It couldn't be more obvious that he was flirting with her, not to mention the cheesy line but for some reason she found it incredibly charming and a breath of fresh air to meet a guy who wasn't drooling or acting like an idiot around her.

Lucas leaned forward; close enough that Victoire smelled his cologne. "You really should hide your wand better."

Victoire was so enticed by the man that she almost didn't register what he had said. When she finally realized that he had actually mentioned her wand, she immediately looked at her purse and saw that the tip of her wand was jutting out. She quickly hid it better before looking back at Lucas. "You're a wizard?"

Lucas nodded. "I'd say I'm having an incredibly lucky day. I meet a beautiful English girl who's also a witch. And I would be stupid if I didn't invite this beautiful English girl who's also a witch out to dinner," he said cheekily.

Victoire giggled, "Wow, why do I get the feeling you were one of _those guys_ at school."

Lucas let out a loud laugh, "You're probably right but I could say the same for you. C'mon don't tell me you didn't have all the guys drooling over you."

Victoire smiled weakly, it was true, "Fine, you got me there."

Lucas smiled, "So I'll take that as a yes?" Victoire nodded shyly.

* * *

_**Teddy's POV**_

"Merlin!" Teddy shouted when he opened the door of his flat. Luke was sitting on his couch with his legs crossed smiling cheekily at Teddy's reaction.

"Actually, the name's Luke. Honestly Ted, I'm a little hurt you couldn't even remember your dear old friend's name," Luke said as he stood up to give Teddy a hug.

"Shut up you prat," Teddy said as he returned the hug. "What are you doing here mate?"

"Came to visit my friend, what else?" Luke said, for some reason Teddy could see that his friend hadn't told him the entire truth but he was happy that Luke visited nonetheless.

Teddy walked into the kitchen to get Luke a drink. "So how long are you staying here?"

Luke sat onto the table and grabbed the glass that Teddy handed him, "Not sure, thought I would take a little vacation."

"But what about quidditch? Isn't it in season right now?" Teddy asked questioningly.

"No big deal, told them I was taking a little time off," Luke responded like it was nothing.

Teddy was about to continue but Luke had cut him off, "So are you going to give me a tour or do I have to actually go and pay a muggle for that?"

Teddy chuckled, "And here I thought I was going to spend my day off tomorrow resting."

"I knew I could count on you," Luke said while he stretched his two arms out.

Over the next hour, Teddy and Luke caught up with each other. Teddy talked about his job and how amazing New York was. He also asked Luke how Olivia was. Luke had simply said that she was doing good and had a baby boy last year and didn't say much more. Teddy decided not to push the subject; he knew how difficult it had been for Luke to move on.

"Hey, I know this great place we can go to for dinner, what do you say?" Teddy asked afterwards.

Luke smiled, "Love to Ted but I've got a date."

"Already?" Teddy asked, his mouth gaping.

"What can I say? The ladies love me," Luke responded proudly.

Teddy shook his head and chuckled, "Why am I not surprised."

"I'll catch up with you later mate," Luke said when he looked at the time. Teddy nodded and the two hugged again before Luke left.

* * *

Teddy wondered what he should do when he suddenly thought of inviting Victoire out to dinner. It would give him another excuse to see her; Teddy had been giving a lot of excuses to see her lately. She had agreed each time but he couldn't help but feel nervous that she would pick up on his excuses and find it weird. He grabbed the phone and began dialing her phone number; his chest palpitated in anticipation to hear her voice. The phone rang longer than usual and Teddy feared that no one would pick up. But luckily, it was finally answered.

"Hello?" Victoire asked when she picked up.

"Hey Vic, it's Ted." Teddy greeted.

"Teddy! Hi, sorry I just got out of the shower." Victoire said sweetly as soon as she realized it was him.

"S'no problem. I was wondering if you wanted to go to dinner with me sometime?" Teddy asked anxiously.

"Sure! When?" she asked. Teddy could hear her moving, it sounded like she was dressing herself.

"Um, how about tonight?" Teddy asked.

There was silence. "Sorry about that, was trying to get my shoes on. I'm really sorry Teddy but I already have plans for tonight," she said apologetically.

"Oh, right, yeah that's fine," Teddy said with disappointment.

"Rain check?" Victoire asked delicately.

"Sure," Teddy responded. After a quick good bye, Teddy hung up the phone. He fell lazily onto the couch and placed his hand over his eyes.

"What am I doing?" he thought to himself, "She doesn't like you like that."

For the rest of the night, Teddy couldn't help but wonder what Victoire was doing and whom she was with. Teddy was sure it wasn't work or with Millicent because she would have told him that. She was probably out with someone else and Teddy couldn't help but feel a bit jealous. He began to think that he should take a page out of Luke's book and just be up front with her. This led him to wonder how his friend was doing. Teddy shook his head; Luke was probably having fun as usual with some hot girl he must have picked up earlier.

Seeing Luke again made him wonder about Olivia. He hadn't seen his friend in years and decided to see how she was doing. He walked over to his work desk and began writing a letter. He asked her how she and Clark were doing and about her baby. And the more he wrote, the more pathetic he felt, he didn't even know the name of her baby, only that it was a boy and he only knew because Luke had mentioned it. When Teddy finished the letter, he sealed it up and sent it off with his owl. Despite living in a muggle environment, Teddy still preferred the wizarding ways sometimes. He had brought his owl with him when he moved to New York.

* * *

_**Olivia's POV**_

Olivia woke up like routine at four in the morning, it was usually the time when Andrew woke up and needed changing and feeding. However, today she was pleasantly surprised when she walked into the nursery to find that Andrew was still sleeping. Olivia smiled and began making her way back to bed to catch some rare sleep when she suddenly stopped at the window. There was an owl pecking at the window, Olivia wondered who would be sending her letters this late or rather, early. She carefully opened the window, making sure that the noise didn't wake Andrew up. When she was sure he hadn't been disturbed, she closed the window and proceeded to the living room to read the letter.

To her surprise, it was from Teddy. Her friend hadn't contacted her in over a year and because of her busy schedule, trying to balance work and Andrew, she hadn't made any effort to contact him either. She peeled open the envelope and pulled the parchment out.

_Dear Olivia,_

_How are you doing? I know I haven't written to you for a long time, sorry about that. But hey, I'm writing to you now, that should count for something right? Anyhow, just checking up on how you are doing. How's your baby? Merlin, I don't even know his name, how pathetic am I?_

_As for me, I'm still the same, working my arse off at the newspaper, trying to make a name for myself before I come back to England; yes, I do plan on coming back! But you'll never guess whom I met a few months ago. Remember my friend I told you about during the first year, Victoire? Well funny thing, she's actually living here in New York as well. She's a fashion designer, it's a long story but I'll tell you next time I see you._

_And I have to ask, have you noticed anything unusual with Luke? He's here visiting me at this moment but out right now with some girl he just met. I know typical Luke, but we can you do right? Anyways, there's just something that isn't sitting right with me with his sudden visit, I mean quidditch season is on and he's here visiting me. It's probably nothing but thought you might know more then me._

_Waiting to hear back from you,_

_Ted_

Olivia smiled at the letter; it was nice to hear from her friend, not to mention a nice change to receive mail that wasn't from the ministry. She was definitely interested in his story with his friend Victoire but what really had Olivia thinking was the part about Luke. She had no idea he was in America, let alone why he wasn't playing quidditch. After she got married, she didn't hear from him for a while. Then suddenly she received a letter from him saying that he was sorry he couldn't make it to the wedding and that he wishes her the best. He also mentioned that he was transferring back to Ireland to play and probably wouldn't be seeing her for a while again. Olivia was saddened by his letter but she didn't have long to dwell on it because a few months later, Andrew was born.

Andrew was the most beautiful thing she ever laid eyes on. He had black hair just like her and blue eyes; however unlike hers, he didn't have that rare hint of violet, it was a pure bright blue. It seemed like he had inherited most of her traits instead of Clark's but they were both so happy to have a healthy newborn that the questionable traits were soon dismissed.

It had been a hard first few months because Olivia wasn't used to having her schedule rearranged, she had to put Andrew first and her career second. This meant that when he suddenly woke up crying at four in the morning, she had to get up as well. Clark would occasionally offer to help but he was a much heavier sleeper then she was and would usually not hear the cries. That was another thing she noticed with Clark, it seemed like ever since Andrew was born, she was spending more and more time with him and had very little time left to spend with Clark. She deduced that everything would balance out once it all fell into place.

Olivia was right; it had all worked out like she thought. Andrew was now one year old and things had begun to fall into place. She was use to the odd schedules and she and Clark were fine. Olivia decided that she couldn't go back to sleep so she decided to respond to Teddy's letter. She smiled when Andrew started crying after she finished the letter. She knew it was too much to ask for a quiet morning but at least he had let her finish writing her letter. Olivia set off to the nursery where a hungry Andrew was waiting for his mother.


	17. Closure

**A/N: For those of you wondering, yes Lucas is Luke. His full name is Lucas Taylor, Luke is a nickname. I just thought it was easier at the beginning to introduce him as Luke and skip that whole nickname bit, it's implied that his friends know his real name though. I made him introduce himself as Lucas to Victoire because I felt like he wanted to make it more formal, Luke sounded like a more on the know basis. Victoire introduced herself as Vic because like I mentioned in earlier chapters, usually, foreigners always mispronounced her name so she just made it easier. And aside from that, obviously to keep the anonymity between the two.  
**

**************Disclaimer: JK Rowling owns Harry Potter.**

**Chapter 17 **

Teddy sat across from Victoire; they were currently having dinner as Victoire promised they would. "So how's work going for you?" Teddy asked, he didn't want to immediately jump into the subject of her last date.

Victoire who had just taken a bite of her salad instantly looked look. "Oh Teddy, you won't believe it but I've been invited to Paris for fashion week, they are showing my designs. Can you believe it?"

"That's great," Teddy said feigning enthusiasm. "When are you going?"

"Next week, I'll be gone for maybe a month," Victoire replied.

Teddy furrowed his brow, "I thought you said it was a week."

"It is but I was thinking since I'm already going to be in France, I would visit my parents as well and just to see how my stores are doing over there," Victoire said, forking another bite of salad.

Teddy was noticeably saddened. Even though it was only a month, Teddy felt like it was happening all over again, Victoire was leaving for France, leaving him. He still hadn't told her how he felt but after her date, he felt it was inappropriate to say something especially since she had been ecstatic after the date.

Victoire seemed to have realized her news did not bode well for Teddy; she placed her hand on top of his and squeezed it. "It'll only be a month, I know we only just got to catching up but I promise, it won't be like before," she said giving him a sad smile.

He nodded and threw her a smile. "So you still haven't told me what happened on your last date. I don't even know the bloke's name," Teddy said. Victoire had avoided divulging too much information; the only thing she told him was that it was an amazing date and that the guy was really handsome. Jealousy struck Teddy but he pretended to be indifferent.

"I don't really want to say anything yet; it's too early. And plus, I'm going to be gone for a month. I just don't want to get my hopes up," Victoire stated.

"Any guy would be stupid to give you up," Teddy splurged, he didn't mean to say it but that was what he was thinking. He hoped that Victoire didn't think he was weird for saying that since she probably only thought of him as family.

Teddy noticed Victoire's eyes shoot up to his for a second before she started chuckling, "Thanks Teddy."

* * *

Teddy walked into his flat, ready to fall onto his bed but was stopped when he saw an owl waiting outside of his window. When he retrieved the letter, he recognized it as Olivia's handwriting that was on the post.

_Dear Ted,_

_It was good to hear from you. I'm doing quite well, Clark is fine. And Andrew is brilliant. That's my baby's name, if you're wondering. Andy just turned one and he's just so smart and beautiful. He looks just like me, oddly nothing like Clark but I guess that was just the luck of the draw. I'm just finally learning to balance work with family but I'm just happy everything is working out. And you better come back to England, it would be nice if Andy got to see his Godfather. Surprise! Yeah you're a godfather mister so come home soon._

_It's nice to hear that you reunited with your old friend. Must have been a real shocker I imagine. How is she? You know Ted, even though Luke was the one who talked about it, he wasn't the only one who wondered. I just have to know, was there really something going on between the two of you?_

_Speaking of Luke, I have no idea why he is taking a break from quidditch. I haven't talked to him since my wedding and last he told me, he was going back to play for Ireland. Let me know if you find out what's going on, I'm worried as well. _

_Missed you,_

_Olivia_

Teddy finished reading Olivia's letter had a mix of emotions. He was ecstatic because Olivia told him he was a godfather; he was embarrassed because Olivia had pointed out his relationship with Victoire; and he was worried about Luke, he didn't know that Luke was back playing in Ireland and still had a nagging feeling that something was wrong. Teddy decided to ask his friend tomorrow, for now he was going to catch up on some sleep.

* * *

_**Victoire's POV**_

Victoire currently stood in the middle of a busy stage; prop directors and assistants were running around trying to set everything up and making last minute touches. The next day would be the start of fashion week; Victoire had been called in to be informed for the set up. She was incredibly anxious, this would be her first big show and to be a part of fashion week was a big accomplishment. She was at her peak, and her brand was becoming a well-known name, her dreams were coming true.

As she headed back to her hotel, she was taken by surprise. Lucas was standing outside of her room with a bouquet of roses. "Surprised?" he asked with his eyebrow raised.

Victoire immediately felt warm and smiled before greeting him. She grabbed the flowers and took in the scent before reaching to kiss his cheek. "How did you know I was staying here?"

"I've got my ways," he smirked. Victoire rolled her eyes but smiled nonetheless. She lead him inside while she put away her things before offering to take him sightseeing.

"So how do you know Paris so well?" Lucas asked while they sat at a park consuming some ice cream.

"I'm half French," Victoire responded.

"Really? And here I was lead to believe you were just an innocent English girl," Lucas smiled smugly.

"What's that suppose to mean," Victoire played along.

Lucas pretended to ponder, "Well French women are naturally snobby, I'm not sure if I can deal with that."

Victoire swatted his arm, "You're such a prat."

"Yeah, too bad you can't resist this," Lucas replied as he pointed to his face.

Victoire had to smile at his cheekiness but she wasn't going to let him win. "Are you sure about that," she asked and began to stand up. She started walking away from him before she heard him call out.

"Oy, you can't leave me by myself, I'll get lost!" Lucas cried. Victoire smiled to herself before turning around to flash her triumph but to her surprise, he had followed her and was closer to her then she thought. She let out a gasp as he held her arms and kissed her.

Sadly, their kiss was interrupted when an unwelcomed voice rang in her ears, "Victoire?"

She immediately broke away from Lucas and stared at the man that had caused her so much heartache, "Leon," she said menacingly.

Lucas noticed the animosity between the two of them so he held Victoire closer in a protective nature. Victoire appreciated the gesture and wrapped her arm around Lucas' waist to threaten Leon to keep his distance. "Peut-on parler?" Leon asked, Victoire knew right away way Leon had chosen to speak in French, to intimidate Lucas.

"How many times do I have to tell you, I don't want to talk!" Victoire said. Leon proceeded forward to try to convince Victoire but he had forgotten about Lucas and the moment Leon was arm's length away from her, Lucas stepped in front.

"She said, she didn't want to talk so I suggest you leave," he threatened. The two of them shot deathly glares at each other before Leon decided to walk away.

"Thanks," Victoire whispered, she was no longer in a playful mood and Lucas noticed. He offered to take her back to the hotel, skipping the rest of their trip.

* * *

For the next week, Victoire was consumed with work but fortunately, fashion week had been a success and she had garnered a few interviews and articles on her company. Lucas had stayed with her for the week and Victoire even offered to accompany her back to Bordeaux to visit her family. He had agreed. They had made it all the way to her parent's front yard before Lucas stopped her.

Victoire looked at his face and noticed the hesitance. "What's wrong?" she asked.

"Maybe this is too soon, we've only been seeing each other for around two weeks," Lucas said. Victoire could hear his reservations and couldn't help but feel like he was keeping something from her. But she understood where he was coming from and she wasn't going to push him. In fact, she was glad that they were taking it slow; she didn't want to get hurt again.

"I guess you're right," Victoire replied. Lucas smiled and bent down to kiss her cheeks. Victoire thought it was odd that Lucas almost always kissed her on the cheeks and rarely kissed her on the lips. And especially since they wouldn't be seeing each other for three more weeks, it was definitely odd. But she convinced herself that it was a good thing they were taking it slow. Soon he disapparted, leaving Victoire to wait for someone to answer the door.

However, within ten minutes of Lucas' departure, the door rang again. Victoire excitedly sprinted to the door, she thought he might have changed his mind and decided to stay after all. She swung the door open with a smile, "Changed your mind?" Victoire's face immediately changed from happy to frustration. The person that stood out of her door wasn't Lucas, it was Leon.

Victoire immediately tried to slam the door shut but Leon was faster and stuck his foot in between the doorway. Victoire sighed, "Why can't you just leave me alone?"

"I just want to apologize Victoire. You were my best friend and I messed it up," Leon said.

Victoire folded her arms, "You _were_."

"Can I come in?" Leon asked sheepishly.

Victoire hung her head down in defeat before removing herself from the house. Her mother were upstairs and she didn't want her mother making a scene. Even though it had been her father who was overprotective of her when it came to Leon, it was her mother who had the veela temper. She walked quietly with Leon through the backyard, neither of them spoke a word and the only noise that breezed the air was the occasional deep breaths that were taken. They finally stopped when they reached the gazebo. Victoire walked up the small steps before seating herself on the stone seat and looked beyond the garden. "You really hurt me."

Leon nodded and decided to play it safe and sat across from her. "I know, I was débile."

Victoire turned to face Leon, "Why did you do it? Was it something I did?"

Leon shook his head, "Non, it was my fault. I couldn't 'andle it. After being best friends, the line became muddled for me when we started dating. And zen zat time I went to Paris, I was mizzing you. But I started to zink, did I miss you as a friend or as my girlfriend. I got drunk and met Brigette. When I came back, I try to convince myself zat I missed my girlfriend, but I realize zat we were bezzer off as friends."

Victoire stayed silent, trying to process his reasoning. "Than why did you keep coming after me?"

"I did not realize until Brigette gave birth. Zen when I saw Adrienne for the first time, I know zat I was suppose to be with her and Brigette. I was going to mail you but I did not know if you were going to just zrow away the letter. And today, when I saw you, I wanted to esplain but your boyfriend, he's very protective. I'm 'appy you found someone." Leon responded with a sad smile.

Victoire shyly nodded. "Actually, he's not really my boyfriend. I'm still trying it out, I met Lucas just two weeks ago but I'm taking a liking to him." She didn't know why she felt the need to correct Leon, it's not like he deserved to know anything about her anymore but some how she didn't feel right calling Lucas her boyfriend just yet.

Leon looked up, "Do you ever zink we can be friends again? I've missed you Victoire."

Victoire sighed, "I don't know Leon. I don't love you so I'm not mad anymore about you cheating on me but I don't know if I can forgive you as a friend right now."

Leon stood up, "Zen zat is what I will take, for now. I 'ope you are in a 'appier place."

Leon started walking out of the gazebo but Victoire had stopped him with her whisper, "Say hi to Adrienne for me." Leon turned to give a quick smile before leaving Victoire to her thoughts.


	18. Back Home

**A/N: This is strictly from Victoire's POV. I got a bit carried away and didn't even realize I had written as much as I usually did for a chapter on just her part so I decided to keep it this way. But don't worry, more Teddy in the next chapter, I promise!  
**

**************Disclaimer: JK Rowling owns Harry Potter.**

**Chapter 18 **

"Victoire? Iz zat you cherie?" Fleur asked as she entered the garden. Victoire had been sitting in the gazebo for twenty minutes since Leon left. She wasn't thinking about anything in particular, she just enjoyed the solitude but at the same time, didn't mind that her mother had now found her.

"Yes Maman," Victoire smiled and gave her mother a hug when Fleur was close enough. Her hug was a bit more enthusiastic then usual and Fleur was taken by surprise. Her mother chuckled before returning an equally enthusiastic hug.

"How did you know I was out here?" Victoire gestured around the garden.

"Well, I came down and saw your suitcase on ze floor but did not see you. I figured you would be here," Fleur said with a knowing smile. Of course her mother would have guess she was here. This was where she use to always come when she wanted to think, not to mention, the view from the gazebo was simply breathtaking. Her mother had quite the hand when it came to gardening which was ironic considering the fact that her mother had once relayed to her that Herbology was one of her least favorite subjects when she was at Beauxbatons. Victoire had an inkling that it was due to the events during the Triwizard Tournament where her mother had been attacked by a Devil's Snare after she was stunned.

Victoire nodded before she stood up and followed her mother back into the house. Her father was not home yet so it was just her and her mother. Dominique also said she would be stopping by after Victoire had mailed her sister that she was visiting. Louis unfortunately, was stuck in Romania. Some dragons had gotten loose and he had his hands full, especially since Uncle Charlie was getting older now, Louis seemed to be taking over. Their mother had initially been wary of her brother's career choice but Victoire believed in Louis' abilities and sure enough, he was doing swimmingly in Romania under the watchful eye of their Uncle Charlie.

"I'm so 'appy to 'ave you 'ome, and Dominique. It 'as been so long, it is too bad Louis could not make it," Fleur said as she stirred the pot.

Victoire drew the mug to her lips and took a sip of the tea. "Sorry Maman." Victoire knew how hard it had been on her mother when she announced she was moving to America and then soon after Louis moved to Romania. Dominique was technically still in France but since the ministry was stationed in Paris, her sister also moved out of the house.

Fleur turned around and looked at Victoire, "Not to worry cherie, I knew it was only a mazzer of time before you all grew up and left."

At that moment, the front door's lock began to twist. Victoire snapped her head around and watched as the door slowly creaked open, revealing a head of red that was now tainted with streaks of grey. "Daddy!" Victoire exclaimed and before Bill Weasley had a chance to look up and react, Victoire had ran to greet her father.

Bill chuckled, "Hi Vic," taken slightly by surprise just like his wife had been earlier. He rubbed her back before he pulled her off, "I'm so glad you're here sweetheart."

* * *

Victoire had retreated to her bedroom as her mother continued cooking dinner. She lied on her bed, staring around the very room that she had once described as cold and not homely; this was no longer the case. Little had changed in her room; it was as though she only left yesterday. Her parents did not touch a thing, not that they needed to. The house was big enough that they didn't need to move things to make room for themselves; something that most parents usually did when their kids moved out.

She stood from her bed and wondered over to her closet. As Victoire looked through her clothes, it reminded her of her younger years where she would desperately try to save up her allowance to buy new dresses and outfits, now she could make whatever she wanted. Still, it was a reminder of how it all started, how she had decided she wanted to be a designer and now that her dream had come true, she couldn't help but smile as she rummaged through the worn clothes.

Victoire continued to slide the clothes until she came to the end. Her hand suddenly stopped at the silver dress that hung sadly on its own. Slowly, she grabbed the dress and took it off the hanger. Victoire ran her fingers over the embroidered diamonds before she placed the dress in front of her body so see how it looked in the mirror. It had been the dress that she buried when her relationship with Leon ended. She had even contemplated on burning the dress but the designer in her would not let that happen. Even though it was given to her from Leon during their happier times, it was a masterpiece and would have been a waste to destroy it. Instead, she decided to bury it all the way at the back of her closet.

This was the first time she had dared to take it off the rack, maybe it was because of the closure she finally received today but whatever it was, it had slowly led her to undress herself. This next moment, she was staring at herself in the mirror, admiring the fact that even after years of being ignored, the dress still shined like a beacon. After a few minutes of staring, she was suddenly interrupted by a knock, "Vic? Are you in there?"

Victoire snapped out of her daze when she realized it was Dominique. She was excited to see her sister but she also didn't want her sister to see her wearing the dress. Victoire quickly unzipped the dress and hung it back on the rack, "Yeah, just a minute!" She quickly redressed herself before allowing Dominique to come in.

When Victoire walked out of her closet, she was almost shocked at the woman that was now her sister. Dominique had a pixie cut, like the ones many girls fashioned in America trying to imitate famous models, however, Victoire agreed that her sister pulled it off much better. Her sister who had once been too afraid to dress more provocatively was now wearing what she knew to be a very expensive designer brand dress. "Nikki! You look amazing!" was all Victoire could manage.

Dominique gave a nervous smile, "Yeah I guess I grew out of that shy phase." Even though Victoire had already hugged her parents with such enthusiasm, her energy had not faltered when she gave Dominique a tight squeeze as well.

After the initial pleasantries were exchanged between the sisters, Victoire felt bold and decided to put her sister on the spot. "Sooo," Victoire said with a sly tone, "Got any boyfriends?"

Dominique rolled her eyes but Victoire hadn't missed the smile that had slipped onto her sister's face. "Tell me about him," she demanded and although Dominique was trying to hide it, she couldn't keep the words from coming out.

"Well his name is Garrett and he works with me at the ministry. We met about a year ago and have been dating since," Dominique said with a small squeal.

Victoire laughed at her sister's excitement and was happy Dominique had found someone she fancied. However, Dominique took the laugh as something else and decided to put Victoire on the spot instead. "And how is _your_ dating life going?"

Victoire immediately stopped laughing, she could feel her ears turning red as she tried to look anywhere but her sister's face. Dominique laughed, "C'mon Vic, it can't be that bad. Who would give up a chance to date you?" Victoire smiled at Dominique's attempt to cheer her up. Her sister had always been the more mindful one and wasn't as blunt as Victoire was, something she was quite thankful for at the moment.

"Well, I've sort have been seeing this guy for the past two weeks. And…" Victoire started. She didn't really know what to say about Lucas, sure she liked him but she just had a feeling he was keeping something from her and aside from that, she still had Teddy on her mind. Teddy, she still hadn't told her sister about him yet. Suddenly she felt the overwhelming need to change the subject so she wouldn't be tempted to tell Dominique about her feelings for Teddy.

"And?" Dominique said, egging Victoire on to complete her sentence. Her sister also looked at Victoire with confusion, she must have made a weird face when she was thinking about Teddy. Victorie sighed when it looked like Dominique wasn't giving up.

"And, I'm not sure yet," Victoire finished.

Dominique scrunched her face, "Not sure yet about what?"

Thankfully, their mother had taken the time now to call them down for dinner. Victoire threw Dominique a weak smile before running downstairs. When Dominique entered the dinning room, she threw Victoire a questioning gaze but made no mention of the topic again.

It wasn't until her father spoke that Victoire wished she could crawl back up to her room. "By the way Vic, how's Ted doing? I remembered Harry telling me that you guys met up in New York."

Victoire froze for a moment before she composed herself. "Fine," she stammered. "He's fine, we've met up a few times now."

Her father seemed to accept the response and continued eating, but it wasn't her father's question that had continued nagging Victoire throughout the rest of dinner, it was the look Dominique was throwing at Victoire. She had no doubt her sister was suspecting something; Dominique was probably wondering why Victoire had yet to mention the fact that she met Teddy again. She was grateful that her sister's considerate nature had once again stopped her from voicing her concerns in front of their parents. But now Victoire knew she was going to have to do a lot of explaining after dinner.

* * *

And corner her she did, as soon as Victoire went to her bedroom, Dominique had followed her right away and entered the bedroom. "So am I missing something or did you really forget to mention the fact that you saw your best friend again after what, over ten years?" Dominique said as she crossed her arms waiting for Victoire to respond. If there was one thing Victoire hated right now about her sister was how perceptive Dominique was, so perceptive that Victoire wouldn't have doubted her abilities to be an excellent auror had she chosen to be.

Victoire sighed in defeat, "Don't laugh okay?"

Dominique's stony demeanor suddenly wavered and her features began softening. "What's really going on Vic?"

"I think I might fancy Teddy," Victoire whispered in the smallest squeal.

"Really?" Dominique asked before her features suddenly looked like she had come to a conclusion, "Wait, is Teddy the bloke you said you were dating?"

Victoire shook her head and Dominique look slightly disappointed that her assumption was wrong. "So wait, why are you dating someone else if you fancy Teddy?" Victoire was relieved that Dominique hadn't thought the whole arrangement was weird but was now annoyed that she had to explain everything else to her sister.

"I don't know. I just thought it would be weird that I fancied him. I mean, he's practically family Nikki!" Victoire responded.

Dominique seemed to have realized her reservations and formed an O with her mouth. "See, you think so too!" Victoire said before pulling her legs into her body and refused to look at Dominique as if she were a child who just did something wrong and was worried that her mother was going to yell at her.

"It's not that I think it's weird Vic, I'm just surprised you've given it so much thought," Dominique said in a joking matter that caused Victoire to look up before she started laughing.

"Gee thanks," Victoire managed.

Dominique laughed, "Don't take this the wrong way but the Vic I remembered wouldn't have hesitated for a second if she fancied a bloke. Let alone consider dating anyone else."

"Maybe, I'm not the same Vic I use to be," Victoire responded, suddenly in a somber tone.

"Are you still hung up on the Leon thing?" Dominique asked warily.

Victoire sighed, she could agree and blame it all on Leon but that had now changed. After the conversation they had today, she could no longer bring herself to blame him, it was the past. The truth was, she was scared because she actually liked Teddy. The problem was that she didn't want to lose him again. She could handle rejection if it were any other guy, not that most guys would usually reject her, but she was scared that because they were no longer as close as they use to be, he could easily walk out if it became awkward.

"No, actually, I think I have finally come to peace with that relationship," Victoire said confidently.

"Good for you," Dominique said. Victoire was sure her sister had taken that the wrong way but she didn't feel like explaining her conversation with Leon that afternoon to her so she decided not to correct Dominique.

"You know what, just forget about it, it's probably just a passing thing, I was probably just really excited to see him," Victoire finally said. And thankfully, Dominique had given her a break and gave up the interrogation.

"Hey Nikki, how long before you go back to Paris?" Victoire asked as Dominique made her way out.

Dominique thought for a moment. "Probably a week, but then I have to go back or my boss will kill me…and Garrett," she said with a smirk.

Victoire chuckled, "Let's do something tomorrow."

"Definitely!" Dominique said before bidding Victoire good night.

When Victoire was finally alone in her bedroom, she began to replay her conversation with Dominique about Teddy. Her sister didn't seem to think it was out of the world for her to fancy Teddy and she was most certain her family would have no qualms about them dating. In fact, it seemed like everyone would be okay with it, the only person who wasn't was Victoire herself. She decided to forget about it for the time being, she was still dating Lucas and she was enjoying it quite a fair bit and decided to see where it could take her.

**A/N: I quite enjoyed the change of scenery. Definitely a nice change from the practically muggle exclusive environment in New York. What do you think? **


	19. The Unexpected Visitor

******************Disclaimer: JK Rowling owns Harry Potter.**

**Chapter 19 **

Teddy slung his bag over his shoulders before grabbing his jacket off the chair. It had been a surprisingly easy going day. Of course working at a newspaper was never easy but in Teddy's eyes, it had been pretty light concerning his workload. Caleb suggested they go to a local bar and for once, Teddy agreed. He needed to get his mind off of Victoire and the fact that she was in France made him a little insecure. On top of that, she still refused to tell him about the guy she recently started going out with. The thought made him cringe.

But Victoire wasn't the only worry Teddy had, there was also Luke. His friend had strangely decided to come to America to visit Teddy even though he hadn't seen him in over a year. And then there was the fact that he came during quidditch season even though he was a starting player. Unfortunately, Olivia didn't have an answer for his odd behavior. Teddy was beginning to think the worse.

"Hey, I'll go grab the drinks, find a table," Caleb said as he pointed towards the bar. Teddy nodded and searched around for an empty table. They didn't usually come to the bar; it was usually the club because Caleb was always on the look out for potential dates. This all changed a few weeks ago when Caleb proudly announced that he was no longer single. Teddy had his laugh at the time but his friend had actually remained chaste.

After about fifteen minutes of waiting, Caleb finally made it to their table. "What took you so long?" Teddy asked as he reached for a mug.

Caleb swallowed a large gulp, "Some idiot's complete stoned up there and was making quite a scene. It was hilarious, I almost forgot I was there to get drinks." Caleb chuckled to himself before he took another swig of his beer.

Teddy screwed his face, "How come I didn't see anything?"

"Oh, he got kicked out from the back just a few minutes ago. Apparently the owner didn't find it funny when the guy tried to kiss the bartender who also happened to be his daughter," Caleb laughed.

"Wish I could have seen that," Teddy said with a smirk. It certainly would have made his day a bit more interesting. He hadn't really hung out with anyone lately, Victoire was in France; Luke had also left without a word, although he was thoughtful enough to leave a note saying he would be back in a week or so. After ordering another round, Teddy decided to call it a night. He didn't want to be hung over tomorrow since it was only a Wednesday.

* * *

As Teddy cross the streets, he suddenly saw a man dancing awkwardly around on the streets while on coming cars tried their best to swerve around him. Some of them had cursed the man telling him to get off the streets. Teddy looked around and when there were no cars in sight, he ran onto the streets and pulled the man off to the side. However, once they reached the other side of the road, Teddy realized under the streetlights that the man was actually Luke.

"Luke? What are you doing?" Teddy asked in a slightly raised voice, a bit shaken that his friend could have been killed right then.

Luke slowly looked up; Teddy noticed right away how glassy his eyes were. He was definitely drunk. "Ted!" Luke said in an overtly blissful tone. "Ted mate, what are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same. Where did you even go this past week?" Teddy asked but soon thought better of it when Luke started mumbling incoherent sentences. He figured it was best to let him sleep this off first. Teddy pulled Luke up before pulling his arm over his shoulders. Thankfully his flat wasn't too far, Luke was much bigger then Teddy with all the quidditch training and he currently felt twice as heavy as usual being drunk and all. It was like pulling dead weight.

"You look great mate," Luke said, his face much too happy to be real as Teddy dropped him onto the couch.

Teddy grunted as he bent down and pulled Luke's legs onto the couch, "Can't really say the same for you buddy." He went into his bedroom to grab the spare blanket, by the time he came out again, Luke had long drifted off. Teddy slung the cover over Luke before marching to the bathroom. After quickly splashing some water onto his face, he changed into his pajamas.

Just as he peeled the covers off, there was a knock on the door. Teddy wrinkled his face, sure it wasn't exactly late but it was late enough that Teddy wondered who would be visiting him at this hour. He shuffled out of the room before reaching for the front door. The person standing in front of his door was not someone he was expecting, Olivia.

"Liv?" Teddy whispered, even though he knew Luke was already knocked out, he still felt the need to keep his voice low.

"Hi Ted," Olivia said with a sad smile. Teddy wondered if it was just the lack of light or possibly two mugs of beer was enough to do him in but he couldn't help but notice the somewhat serious nature she had. He would have expected her to be more excited after not seeing him for more then two years. Then again, he didn't even know why she was even here.

"Good to see you Liv," Teddy spoke up before reaching to give her a hug. He then slowly led her in before closing the door.

"Why are you being so…?" Olivia started but Teddy immediately hushed her. She threw Teddy a confused look before Teddy threw his head towards the couch. Olivia squinted to take a closer look before realizing the problem.

"Oh…oh" Olivia started. She started to get fidgety. Teddy was beginning to think that she hadn't been prepared to see Luke yet.

"Maybe this isn't a good time," Olivia suggested. Teddy wanted to tell her that it wasn't a good time despite Luke being here, it was actually ten at night and he was just about to go to sleep. He thought better of it and decided not to voice his thoughts.

"It's fine. He's knocked out. Probably had a lot to drink," Teddy said as he signaled Olivia to follow him into his bedroom.

When they were both in the bedroom, Teddy closed the door. He decided to be safe and casted a silencing spell for everyone's sake. "Wait, what do you mean _probably_ had a lot to drink? Weren't you with him?" Olivia asked with sudden realization.

Teddy sighed as he plopped onto his bed. This really wasn't how he wanted to spend the night, explaining Luke's behavior to Olivia. Don't get him wrong, he was excited to see Olivia but he imagined it to be under different pretenses and preferably at a godlier hour. "No, I wasn't with him. Actually, I found him wondering the streets when I was coming home from the bar. He was already drunk, almost got hit by a car," Teddy said loosely. He was beginning to find this whole situation funny but Olivia apparently didn't think so.

"WHAT!" She screamed. Teddy cringed from her surprisingly loud voice. He was glad he decided to cast the silencing spell.

"It's not what you think," Teddy tried to defend although he wasn't sure whom he was really defending. He didn't exactly know Luke's part of the story.

To his surprise, Olivia hadn't retorted, in fact she didn't do anything. He watched as Olivia sunk down onto his bed. She seemed lost in thought. Teddy approached her warily; he waved a hand in front of her which seemed to have snapped her out of her thoughts. "Are you okay Liv?" Teddy asked.

"M'fine," Olivia responded with a smile before she stood up.

"Sorry about bothering you this late. We'll talk tomorrow," Olivia said.

If Teddy had been confused before, he was even more confused now. "Wait, what's going on?"

"I'm staying at a hotel down the street. I'll come find you tomorrow," Olivia responded.

Teddy couldn't help but noticed she had dodged his question but she had insisted they talk tomorrow so he let it go. After Teddy closed the front door, he turned to face Luke who was currently still sleeping. He sighed, for just a second, he thought Luke showed some movement but he was probably seeing things.

* * *

"Excuse me, I'm looking for an Olivia White," Teddy said to the concierge.

"One moment please," the woman said, she was currently multitasking on the phone and her computer.

"I'm sorry did you say White?" the woman asked again.

Teddy nodded, "Yes Olivia Whi…"

"Ted," at the moment Olivia was standing in the lobby as she called his name.

Teddy smiled when he saw Olivia before turning back to the concierge, "It's fine, I found her." Teddy started walking towards Olivia and immediately realized Olivia's mood was much more pleasant then last night's. This was the reaction he was expecting when he finally got to see her.

"Hey Liv, how's it going?" Teddy asked.

"Good…well complicated," Olivia responded.

Teddy scrunched his face. "Listen, how about I tell you everything over dinner, your treat," Olivia said with a tired grin.

* * *

"Not that I'm not happy to see you Liv, but it would really help if you told me what is going on," Teddy said as he twirled a forkful of pasta.

Olivia pushed around the meatball on her plate before her shoulder's sagged. "It's about Luke." Teddy stopped chewing and watched her expectantly.

"I found out why he isn't playing quidditch anymore. Actually, more like I overheard my quidditch fanatic coworkers talking about it but the point is, I know why," Olivia started.

Teddy finished slurping the rest of the pasta down, "What do you mean not playing anymore?"

"Luke was injured, Ted. Really badly," Olivia said. Teddy suddenly noticed a small crack in her voice as she said this.

"Apparently, the injury was bad enough that he can no longer play professionally," Olivia finished.

Teddy stared wide eye at the revelation that Olivia just recounted. It all made sense now, why Luke had visited him during quidditch season, why his friend constantly dodged questions about it and why he was almost always drunk by the end of the night.

"After I found out, I dug around a little more. I asked his parents what exactly happened. They told me they didn't know much either except for the fact that Luke was depressed for a long time and wouldn't talk to anyone. And then just a few weeks ago, he just got up and left. Said he needed some time to sort things out," Olivia said.

"I don't get it, if he wanted to sort things out, why did he come to me only to leave me in the dark and not ask for help," Teddy said, suddenly growing mad.

Olivia continued to stare ahead, her violet eyes revealing her vulnerability. "I wish he would have told me about it," she whispered.

Teddy's anger subsided as he watched Olivia with sympathy. He truly felt for her, to have to find out that your best friend had a life-changing event and not even bother to tell her and ask for help. "It's not your fault Liv," Teddy said as he reached to squeeze her hand.

Olivia suddenly started crying. "It is my fault Ted! I pushed him away; I told him I never wanted to see him again. How could I tell him that when…when he's the father of my child!" Olivia had screamed. Suddenly, the restaurant had grown silent and every eye was on Olivia. Teddy sat there dumbfounded while Olivia had her hand clamped over her mouth.

"I shouldn't have said that," Olivia muttered before she grabbed her purse and began to stand up. Teddy didn't even put together that Olivia was already out the door before the restaurant resumed its usual ambiance. Teddy immediately jolted up, paid for the meals and ran out the door.

The restaurant seemed to have all but forgotten the recent outburst from Olivia. Everyone immediately went back to their meal and their conversations. However, over at the other side of the restaurant at the bar, Luke Taylor was currently sitting on the stool, still frozen over the words that were just exchanged between his two friends. In a split second, the shot glass he was currently holding dropped from his hand and onto the bar table, spilling the contents. The room suddenly felt like it was being played out in slow motion and all the conversations sounded muddled. All he could think about was chasing after them but it took every fiber in his body to stop him from doing so.

_**Victoire's POV**_

Victoire had really wanted to stay for the last week she had initially planned on staying in France but Millicent had mailed her saying that they were having trouble at the company and urged Victoire to come home as soon as possible. So instead of enjoying the beautiful view, she was currently packing her trunk. The frustrating part of it was that her friend had refused to tell her any of the details; just that Victoire should get home as soon as possible.

As she packed her clothes that were scattered all over the floor, she suddenly grabbed the dress that Leon had given her. She stopped to look at it, staring at the dress for the longest period of time before she finally stood up. It was late but she knew he wouldn't mind.

* * *

After two knocks, the front door had opened. Leon stood on the other side of it, seemingly annoyed at whoever was knocking at this hour but immediately soften when he realized it was Victoire. "Victoire? What iz wrong?" Leon asked.

Victoire shook her head, "Nothing's wrong. I just wanted to give you something."

Leon looked at her with confusion before he realized what it was when Victoire held the dress in front of her. "Eet iz the dress I bought for you," Leon said obviously.

Victoire nodded, "I think it's time for me to move on. Hopefully, one day we can be friends again."

Leon smiled, "I'm glad but I gave you ze dress and I want you to keep eet."

"I don't think I can keep it," Victoire said as she pushed the dress onto Leon. "I didn't realize that by holding onto this dress, I was holding myself back from moving on. And if you really want to be my friend again," she said as she held the dress, willing Leon to take it.

Leon hesitantly took the dress in his hands, "Zen I will take eet." Victoire smiled before she started walking down the front steps and back to her house.

"Victoire," Leon shouted. Victoire turned around to look at Leon. "Il est bon de vous revoir." Victoire smiled and gave it curt nod before she turned around once again.

The next morning, she stood on the front steps of her parents' house. She watched as her father pulled her trunk into a car while her mother stood next to her. "I will miss you mon cherie," Fleur said as she held her eldest daughter.

Victoire chuckled, "I'll miss you Maman."

"Promize you will visit more often," Fleur said as Bill Weasley stepped in front of them.

Victoire nodded before her mother released her. She then stepped forward to give her father a hug. "Bye Daddy," she whispered into his arms.

"See you soon sweetheart," Bill said. Victoire smiled, her father had always made it a point to say see you soon instead of goodbye; he once told her that once a person you love leaves, it's never a goodbye and it was only temporary.

"See you soon Daddy," Victoire corrected.

**A/N: I think Bill's rule really suited the story, pretty much says it all for Teddy and Victoire. Anyways, hope you liked this chapter, definitely more Teddy POV heavy since last chapter was only Victoire's POV. **


	20. Olivia's Confessions

**********************A/N: This chapter is extremely conversation heavy so for those of you who say you understand the story better if there is more conversing, well, this is for you!  
**

**********************Disclaimer: JK Rowling owns Harry Potter.**

**Chapter 20 **

"What's wrong Millie?" Victoire said as she violently pushed the office door open. She immediately regretted this and sorely wished she had knocked.

"I'm going to wait outside," Victoire said as she shielded her eyes. Once the door was closed, she heard some noise that indicated there was a lot of scrambling around. Soon after, the door open while Victoire tried her best not to stare.

"Hey Vic," Kevin said as he casually left the office. Victoire meanwhile was still blushing slightly having to have caught her best friend and boyfriend in action. Kevin was the bloke that Millicent meet at the club some time ago and they had surprisingly taken a liking to each other. Victoire met him a few times and didn't necessarily have anything bad to say about him either.

"Hey Kevin," Victoire mumbled and threw a quick wave before she looked down again. When Kevin finally made it to the elevator, Victoire rushed into Millicent's office with a smug look.

Millicent rolled her eyes, "It wasn't my idea."

"Mmhmm, I'm sure it wasn't your idea. By the way, you're paying for a new couch," Victoire joked.

Millicent waved it off. "So what's so important that you have to pull me away from France?" Victoire asked, now realizing they had other matters to attend to.

For some reason, Millicent looked guiltier about this then when Victoire had caught her and Kevin. "What?" Victoire asked suspiciously.

"Are you going to kill me if I tell you everything is fine and that it was for personal matters?" Millicent asked.

"Wait, so there's nothing wrong?" Victoire asked with a raised tone.

Millicent held her two hands out to defend herself, "Well, I wouldn't say nothing. I think that new girl you hired has been stealing office supplies."

Victoire was just about to pounce on Millicent until she remembered the second part of her statement. "Wait, what personal matters?" She was eyeing Millicent with such precision, she felt like she was a sniper.

"Um…well 'm ged…mared…"Millicent mumbled.

"I can't understand you, spit it out!" Victoire said.

Millicent sighed, "I'm getting married."

Victoire's mouth fell, "Married? To who?"

"To Kevin," Millicent said in an obvious tone as she rolled her eyes. Apparently it didn't take long for her to bounce back from her embarrassed state.

"But you've only known each other for like what three months?" Victoire said.

"So?" Millicent asked nonchalantly.

"So…don't you think you're moving too fast?" Victoire said in an obvious tone, she couldn't understand how her friend had fallen for a bloke so fast.

Millicent shrugged. "I love him. AND…I was going to ask you to be my maid of honor but you know, if you don't think you should…" she implied.

Suddenly Victoire forgot about her reservations and immediately started jumping and ran to hug Millicent. "No of course, I'll be the MOD Millie! I'm sorry, as long as you're happy."

"I am but thanks for worrying," Millicent said. "And since you're not mad anymore…the wedding is in a month and I would really loveeee it if you designed my dress," she said warily.

Victoire instantly pulled them apart, "WHAT?"

Millicent cringed before giving her a puppy eye look. "So that's why you called me back so urgently," Victoire said, finally coming to the realization.

_**Teddy's POV**_

"Wait up Liv!" Teddy shouted as he ran to catch up with Olivia. It didn't take long since he was much taller but he would have appreciated it if she waited. A thousand thoughts were running through Teddy's head about what Olivia had just told him and a thousand more questions popped up. He wanted to know what she had meant and how it happened.

Olivia took this moment to stop abruptly, which in turn caused Teddy to stumble on his feet and use her shoulders to balance himself. And before he had a chance to catch his breath, Olivia took his arm and the next thing he knew there was a pulling sensation on his navel and suddenly, the whole world started to spin. In a blink of an eye, they were standing outside of Teddy's flat.

"Could you have at least warn me before we apparated?" Teddy said as he rested his hands on his knees, feeling a bit nauseous.

"Sorry Ted. I just thought it would be more sensible if I told you everything in a less public setting," Olivia said. Teddy nodded while Olivia waited for him to get situated before he unlocked his front door.

"When is Luke coming home?" Olivia asked as she sat on the chair.

"Luke is not staying with me here. He said he rented a suite in that hotel…" Teddy said, his last words barely audible. He just realized Olivia and Luke were both rooming at the same hotel.

Olivia chuckled, "I guess it shouldn't be such a surprise. It is the closest one to your flat." She seemed to be talking to herself.

"I could ask him to stay here instead or you could if you like," Teddy offered.

Olivia shook her head, "The hotel is big, and I doubt we'll bump into each other. Besides, it's more likely that we'll meet at your flat." Teddy nodded as he brought two cups of tea over to the dinning table before settling across from Olivia. It was quiet for a few minutes and Teddy was beginning to wonder if he should say something first but thankfully, Olivia started to talk.

"I'm sure Andy is Luke's baby," Olivia started.

"I didn't say anything about that," Teddy whispered, but she was right, he had been wondering how it was possible for Andy to be Luke's baby.

Olivia sighed, "You didn't have to. I know you're probably wondering how. Well after your going away party, you remember?" Olivia asked and waited for Teddy to nod before she continued.

"Well a few weeks later, Luke came to my office and one thing led to another and we sort of did it in my office. It didn't last long and I know it was wrong since I was with Clark but…I don't know to be honest. I mean it was horrible of me to do that, and Clark had actually just proposed to me the week before and we sort of did it as well. It was so close that when the Healer told me how far along I was, I just didn't put it together," Olivia chuckled.

Teddy squirmed slightly, he really preferred his friends' sex lives to be kept to themselves but this was a different situation. "Anyway, after that, I told him I didn't want to see him again," Olivia said sadly. "He didn't even come to my wedding but when Andy was born, I sort of became too preoccupied with my life to worry about anything else," Olivia continued.

"It's not you're fault Liv, you didn't know," Teddy said.

Olivia chuckled again, "I should have known though. I should have known the moment I saw Andy that he didn't possess any of Clark's traits. I mean how irresponsible of me to not even know the father of my child. I use to be the organized one but now, now I don't know."

"So how did you find out?" Teddy asked. He watched as she explained everything, Olivia had definitely changed over the years, she looked sadder than she had before, more tired.

"I found out Andy has a peanut allergy. Neither Clark nor I have it," Olivia said.

Teddy scrunched his face trying to understand what she was trying to say until it hit him. He remembered once in Hogwarts, Luke had taken an every flavor bean and suddenly began reacting really badly to it. Teddy had rushed him to Madame Pomfrey. When Olivia found out Luke was in the infirmary, she had asked Teddy what happened. After Teddy recounted the story, she told him that this had happened before when they were younger and it was because Luke was allergic to peanuts. The bean must have been peanut butter flavored. Teddy didn't claim to be an expert on genetics but he was pretty sure peanut allergies were passed from parent to child.

* * *

When Olivia had told Teddy everything, they were silent. "Does Clark know?"

Olivia silently shook her head. She looked extremely defeated so Teddy decided to change the subject. He racked his brains for something to talk about, probably not about Luke's mystery girlfriend, and for some reason it just came to him. "You know when you asked in the letter if there had been something going on with Victoire and me?" Teddy asked in a hesitant tone.

Olivia looked up for the first time, with a confused look before she remembered what she had said and nodded.

"Well the truth is, I do have feelings for her, maybe not back then but I do now. I mean, she's almost always on my mind nowadays and I just can't get over the fact that she's changed so much and I don't know a thing. I mean we use to be best friends and somehow, we managed to not be in each others' lives for over ten years. And I don't know how to tell her. Well that and the little problem that she just started going out with this bloke," Teddy finished.

To his surprise, Olivia started to laugh, "Luke owes me ten galleons."

Teddy wrinkled his face, "You guys made a bet?"

Olivia nodded. "See, where Luke took your word for it, I knew something was up. He didn't believe me so he bet me ten galleons that you were just friends. I just didn't think it would take this long for me to collect," she said sadly, realizing that it would probably not be a good idea to talk to him about their past bet at the moment.

Teddy blinked a few times, "But you don't even know her!"

"Didn't have to, I know you," Olivia shrugged.

Teddy groaned, "You can't tell anyone about this."

"Ted, take it from someone who's in a complicated situation; it's better if you just put everything out in the open," Olivia advised.

"But she won't even tell me who she's dating for Merlin's sake!" Teddy exclaimed.

Olivia shrugged, "Maybe you should just ask her."

"I did ask her," Teddy said in an obvious tone.

"Ask her again," Olivia refuted. Teddy couldn't understand why Victoire would suddenly tell him but he decided that he would just take Olivia's advice and ask again.

* * *

Olivia stayed at Teddy's flat for a while longer before she said she should get back to the hotel since it was getting late. Teddy led her to the door and bid her goodnight. However, not a minute later, there was another knock on the door. He thought Olivia might have forgotten something so he opened the door. Instead of Olivia, he found Luke standing outside the door with an uncharacteristically grin plastered on his face as if he was trying to fake it for the sake of saving face.

"Mind if I crash here today?" Luke asked. Teddy shrugged before letting Luke in; it was probably better for Olivia. Although he couldn't help but wonder if Luke saw Olivia leaving, it was so close but then again, Olivia probably apparated the moment she left.

"So where have you been," Teddy said as he pointed to Luke.

Luke shrugged, "Around."

Teddy was about to retort and ask him to explain but at that moment, someone had knocked on the door again. He was beginning to wonder if there was a sign outside that read "Open House." He lazily made his way to the door before opening it; however, he immediately began to smile when he noticed the tall blonde standing outside the door.

"Teddy!" Victoire said as she grabbed his neck and pulled him in for a hug.

"Hey, I thought you were getting back next week," Teddy said as he hugged her. He held her longer then he should have, taking in her scent that seemed to provoke a sense of euphoria in him everytime they were together. To his delight, she didn't pull back.

Finally when it started lingering just a little too long, she pulled away. He immediately missed the feeling of her arms around his neck. "Let's just say Millie is a good liar."

Teddy chuckled, "Tell me about it."

"Hey, who is it," Luke had called out from the kitchen. Teddy heard him rummaging through the fridge, probably trying to dig up some butterbeer. He suddenly became annoyed that he agreed to let Luke stay, he wouldn't have time alone with Victoire anymore and he really wanted to talk to her. Teddy then remembered that he had yet to introduce them to each other and thought he might as well get it over with. He was sure Luke was going to gaggle over Victoire but it was inevitable; he just needed to make sure Luke behaved.

"It's a friend of mine, actually I want you to meet Victoire," Teddy said as he pulled Victoire into the flat. At that moment, Luke had stuck his head out from behind the fridge and looked up.

"Luke this is Victoire, Vic this is Luke," Teddy introduced. He counted to five in his head before he'd imagine Luke to come running up to Victoire and introduce his charming self. He would entertain his friend since he knew there was nothing that could stop Luke from flirting with a pretty girl. And just as he suspected, Luke stared at Victoire wide eyed. Teddy chuckled before he turned to Victoire to warn her how Luke can be but to his surprise, Victoire was staring at Luke with the same amount of surprise his friend had been.

Teddy gave a worried chuckle before he waved a hand in front of Victoire, "Hello?"

"Vic?" "Lucas?" his two friends had asked at the same time. It was now Teddy's turn to stare in shock. He looked at Luke before his eyes landed on Victoire, "You know each other?"

**A/N: The secrets are all coming out now. Sorry I had to leave it at a cliffhanger of sorts but all in good time. Let me know what you think.**


	21. The Jig is Up

**************************A/N: I'm really sorry for the slow updates as of lately. Been so busy trying to find jobs since I'm graduating that I've been too preoccupied to settle down and actually write. I just haven't been into it, even though I know what I want to write about, I just couldn't bring myself to actually type it out. But today, I finally had some time and guess what, it might have taken a few hours to write the next chapter but it was well worth it. Just so you know, it wasn't this chapter that took so long to write, I've had this one saved for a while but I didn't want to post up my reserves so quickly if I didn't have a chapter in the works; that's just how I update.  
**

**************************Disclaimer: JK Rowling owns Harry Potter.**

**Chapter 21 **

After the surprise news that Millicent had sprung on her, Victoire decided to head home and unpack; she had decided to go straight to the office because she really did believe that there was an emergency. Victoire charmed the suitcase to unpack itself while she walked into the shower. The warm water pouring down her body eased her tense muscles, easily relaxing her. It had been so inviting that she lost track of time. It was only when she felt her fingers shriveling up like prunes that she finally got out of the shower.

She walked out to her living room with a robe and a towel over her head. She didn't really know what she was going to do for the rest of the day. Victoire didn't exactly need to go back to work for another week, although it would be smart if she started on the wedding dress. However, she decided she would give herself the night off and start tomorrow; right now, she was enjoying the tranquil environment too much to do anything else. She slumped further down onto her couch before she remembered the large pile of unread letters that were currently stacking up on the table.

Victoire sighed before flicking her wand, which caused the letters to zoom across the room before landing on her hand. She quickly sorted through the letters, separating the business letters from the personal letters. Unfortunately for her, most of the letters were business and she was dreading it already. Fortunately, there were some personal letters which she actually enjoyed receiving. Victoire saw one letter from her parents and another from Louis. She suddenly smiled even brighter when she came across the last letter, it was from Lucas.

Victoire was excited to read Lucas' letter so she save it for last. She ripped open the other two letters and quickly read them over. Her parents had written to make sure she was home safe and to tell her to visit soon. Her brother's letter was to apologize for not being able to visit France when she was there. However, the more she read, the more she became excited. Louis had written to tell her that to make it up to her, he was going to visit her in America some time this week. She jumped off of her couch and unbeknownst to her, she had dropped the letter from Lucas, which fell under the couch.

She immediately rushed into her room to change; she hadn't seen Louis for a few years now but she knew someone who hadn't seen him for even longer, Teddy. Victoire imagined it would be a surprise for the both of them to see each other, after all, Louis always looked up to Teddy. She decided to apparate over to Teddy's flat to tell him the good news instead of writing a letter; she hadn't seen him yet so it was as good of a time as ever to go visit him.

* * *

"Lucas?" Victoire had asked, at the same time across the room, he had called her name as well. Victoire was suddenly thrown and at the moment, was very confused at what was going on.

"You know each other?" she heard Teddy ask; he was looking at the both of them with the same surprise she had had.

It was a few seconds before Victoire had registered what he asked; she suddenly felt a deep blush creeping onto her face. This was not the way she wanted Teddy to find out who her mystery boyfriend was, especially since it seemed like he knew Lucas. She immediately ran into the first room she saw, which turned out to be Teddy's room and locked the door. She needed a few minutes to organize her thoughts. She heard questioning tones outside the room before voices were raised. She didn't actually hear anything that was exchanged; she was too busy in thought before she heard the inevitable knock. Victoire closed her eyes before drawing a deep breath, "Give me a minute."

The knocking stopped, whoever it was, was giving her the minute she asked for. She suddenly realized she was actually alone in Teddy's room. For the first time, she realized the sweet scent that resonated in the room; it was the unmistakable smell of Teddy. It was the same scent she smelled when he hugged her earlier. And at that moment, for just a second, she had forgotten about everything, that is until Teddy introduced her to Lucas. She wrinkled her nose, why was it that she suddenly felt annoyed of Lucas' presence. She had been hoping to spend the evening alone with Teddy but should it have really annoyed her that there was company, especially considering the fact that Lucas was her boyfriend? Victoire quickly pushed the thought away; she was sure her minute was up so she bravely made her way to the door and unlocked it.

"Hi," Victoire said in a squeak, she didn't need to look up to see who it was, the overpowering smell of paper and ink told her immediately that it was Teddy.

"I'm sorry Vic, I didn't know," Teddy started. Victoire nodded, she was just about to say something but Teddy had continued.

"I should have killed that git," Teddy exclaimed, Victoire could see his knuckles growing white and she instantly looked up. His hair was flaming red and his expression was stony. Victoire was suddenly very confused, she was comforted by the fact that he cared about her but what exactly did Lucas say that would cause Teddy to be so mad.

Victoire furrowed her brow, "Wait, how exactly do you know Lucas?" She watched as his hand released his fingers, blood began circulating again.

"Luke is a friend from Hogwarts," he said, still maintaining his stony expression. And then it hit her; she had remembered Teddy writing to her years ago about his new friends, one of them was named Luke. He had thrown her off when he introduced himself as Lucas.

Victoire formed an O with her mouth before slapping her hand on her head, "I'm so stupid!"

Teddy pulled her hand off softly, "No, it's not you. Luke is an arse." Victoire looked up at him again, why was it that Teddy kept calling his friend such bad names.

"What exactly did Luc…Luke tell you?" Victoire asked in a suspicious tone, in her mind he had yet to do anything wrong to give such a sour impression on Teddy.

For the first time Teddy broke his stony exterior and looked away, "Everything." Victoire stood there, still confused at what was going on. There was nothing that could be deemed as a big deal, they had only gone out for around two or three weeks and didn't really do anything aside from a few dates and some snog sessions.

"Is that why you came tonight?" Teddy asked, snapping her out of her thoughts.

She began to speak but he cut her off, "You wouldn't tell me anything about it but when he dumps you, you come running to me!" Teddy was getting louder and louder and it seemed like his anger was no longer directed on Luke but at her. But for the moment, she didn't take heed to his volume; the only thought that was running through her head was what he had just said. "Dumped her?" she thought, they haven't even talked for a week, when exactly had Luke dumped her.

"Dumped me?" Victoire said, her voice suddenly growing as well. "Are you so mad that I didn't tell you about Luke that you have to make stuff up to get back at me? And if you are going to make stuff up, at least come up with something better. How the fuck did I get dumped without even knowing it!" Her face grew hot, she was afraid her veela temper was going to erupt so she smartly removed herself from Teddy's presence. Victoire threw open the door before she apparated away.

_**Teddy's POV**_

He had just watched Victoire run into his room before she locked the door. Teddy immediately zoned in on Luke, "You better have something to tell me."

"Look mate, I didn't know she was your friend," Luke said in a defensive tone.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Teddy asked.

"She's the girl I've been seeing," Luke answered. And for some reason, Teddy immediately felt like pouncing on his friend. With everything that was going on with Luke from which he found out from Olivia, he was annoyed that his friend would seek to bring someone else into his broken life, especially if that someone was Victoire.

Luke held his two hands up, "Look if its any consolation, I already broke it off with her." If Teddy didn't think he could get any angrier, he did. As much as it relieved him that they were no longer seeing each other, it pained him think that Victoire didn't feel she could tell him about Luke until it had actually ended.

"Get out," Teddy said in a deadly tone. Luke didn't have any second thoughts and zoomed out of the flat. When Teddy composed himself to face Victoire, he walked over to his bedroom door and knocked. He could have easily used his wand to unlock the door but he knew he should wait to let her open it herself.

"Give me a minute," he heard her mumble. It felt like an hour before she finally opened the door when in reality, it was probably a little over a minute.

"Hi," she whispered, she didn't look up at him, which only confirmed what Luke had told him.

However, no matter how mad he was, he knew she was probably sad about the break up so he approached with caution, "I'm sorry Vic, I didn't know." But his anger got the better of him, "I should have killed that git."

"Wait, how exactly do you know Lucas?" she asked.

Teddy suddenly remembered that he never did get around to a proper introduction, "Luke is a friend from Hogwarts."

Victoire must have put the pieces together because she slapped her hand onto her head, "I'm so stupid!"

He couldn't help but sympathize, he pulled her hand off of her face, "No, it's not you. Luke is an arse."

"What exactly did Luc…Luke tell you?" she asked in a suspicious tone. He concluded that she must have been guarded, the fact of the matter was, he had heard everything from Luke and not her. She was probably wary about what her ex might have said about her.

"Everything." Teddy said as he looked away.

"Is that why you came tonight?" Teddy asked when he suddenly remembered she had yet to tell him anything. And all the anger started pouring in again, "You wouldn't tell me anything about it but when he dumps you, you come running to me!"

"Dumped me?" Victoire said, her voice suddenly growing as well. "Are you so mad that I didn't tell you about Luke that you have to make stuff up to get back at me? And if you are going to make stuff up, at least come up with something better. How the fuck did I get dumped without even knowing it!"

Teddy suddenly became startled, Victoire was growing increasingly angry, not to mention, she seemed to have no idea what he had just been talking about. Did Luke lie to him earlier so he wouldn't get mad? According to Victoire, they were still together and in his gut, he knew she would never lie to him. This caused his stomach to twist into a hundred knots. And before he knew it, Victoire pushed past him and swung the door open before he heard the loud pop that indicated she had apparated away.

"Shit!" Teddy muttered to himself. He just made himself look like a fool. This was definitely not the way to rebuild his friendship with Victoire. He hadn't seen her in close to a month and in one night, he managed to embarrass her, anger her and accuse her of something she didn't do just because he was jealous. He kicked the box on the floor and threw a pillow across the room. "I'm going to kill Luke!" he yelled before he grabbed his wand and apparated.

_**Luke's POV**_

If his life wasn't bad as is, it just got a thousand times harder. He had lost his career, lost the girl of his dreams and now possibly, he might have just lost a friend. Not to mention, he just found out he also had a baby but that was the last thing on his mind. Luke had decided he wasn't going to pursue the issue, as much as it overjoyed him that he has a baby with Olivia, he knew it wouldn't be right to drag them down with him. He was in an all time low and he wasn't going to burden them with his childish acts.

Last week, he had decided once and for all to end the short relationship he had developed with Victoire. He was in no shape to start a relationship with someone, and even though it felt good to be with her, it just wasn't right to drag her along if his heart wasn't in it. It's not to say that he wasn't interested in Victoire, it was just that she wasn't right for him. So he had decided to take the coward's way out and wrote her a letter telling her he was breaking up with her. It was easier this way, or at least until he found out what a small world they lived in.

Luke thought about how awkward it was, Victoire was actually Ted's best friend. She was the same girl his friend had talked endlessly about while they were at Hogwarts, and she was also the one who he had seen Ted kiss at the beginning of first year. Luke chuckled at the thought; he had to have picked the one girl who was off limits. Not that Ted ever admitted it, but Luke had always suspected something. However, things changed as they grew and when he noticed Ted and Victoire had lost touch, he pushed the thought away.

* * *

Luke approached the front desk to retrieve his key for the suite he was renting out. "Hi, can I get the key for Taylor, Luke?" Luke asked. The concierge checked over her records before she handed him a key card. Just as he left, she called out to him again.

"Excuse me Mr. Taylor, you have a message from a…"she started, checking over the records again. "Yes, you have a message from a Mrs. White, would you like to take it?"

Luke was surprised; he had not expected her to approach him first. In fact, he was hoping he didn't have to run into her at all, which is why he had asked Ted to stay at his place. As much as he wanted to talk to her, to see her, to tell her he still loved her, he wasn't sure if he had the strength to walk away from her again afterwards.

"Mr. Taylor?" the concierge asked again.

Luke snapped out of his thoughts, "Just delete it."

"Are you sure?" the woman asked. Luke nodded before she attended to his request.

**A/N: What a mess I made xD But don't worry, things will get sorted out...eventually. I'm having a lot of fun writing this story and I hope you are enjoying it as well. Please leave a review/comment if you can.**


	22. Brotherly Love

******************************Disclaimer: JK Rowling owns Harry Potter.**

**Chapter 22 **

Teddy immediately apparated after Victoire. He didn't know what he was going to say to excuse his behavior but he knew they had to talk. Maybe Olivia was right, if he had just said everything up front from the beginning, they wouldn't be in this situation. He pounded her apartment door hard, however, there was no answer. Teddy waited for almost an hour before it occurred to him that she might not even be home. But he didn't exactly know where to find her so he decided to stay put. He would wait on her doorstep for the whole night if it meant she had nowhere to hide when she did come home. However, before he knew it, he had fallen asleep.

The next day, Teddy woke up to a rude awakening. Someone was slapping his face with small pats. He slowly opened his eyes, he tried to move his head to see who it was but thought better of it when a pain shot through his neck as he tried to turn it. He must have fallen asleep and the position he fell asleep on was definitely not ideal, he was going to pay for it for weeks to come. "Waddu wan?" Teddy muttered.

"I was going to ask you the same thing," someone had said. Teddy immediately realized that he was still outside Victoire's flat, unfortunately, the person who woke him up wasn't her, in fact, it was a man.

"I do hope America's poverty isn't as bad as I think it is. Do landlords here rent the floor for people to sleep on?" the man spoke again.

When Teddy finally snapped out of his sleepy state, he took a good look at the man who was currently talking to him. Teddy rolled his eyes, another pretty boy. He was beginning to suspect Luke wasn't the only guy Victoire met who she had caught the eye of. Of course, Teddy knew she was beautiful but he was pretty sure Luke had been the only guy she was seeing. But he had to make sure, "Please tell me you're not looking for a Victoire Weasley?"

"Actually, I'm. I was told this is her flat," the man said.

Teddy grunted and stood up, which took all of his effort. "Are you interested in her as well cause I swear, I think just about every guy who lays his eyes on her is," Teddy exclaimed.

To his surprise, the man cocked his eyebrow, "So does that mean you're one of her suitors," he joked. Teddy looked at the man with confusion, surely he was jesting. Victoire couldn't be that casual about everything, could she?

The man chuckled when Teddy stayed silent. "I'm going to have to talk to Victoire about…dating," he said in a slightly disgusted tone.

"Anyways, to answer your question, no I am definitely not interested in her," the man had said, again Teddy noticed how he said it in a disgusted tone. Teddy suddenly felt defensive about Victoire; this guy was openly insulting her in front of him and he wasn't about to stand around to listen anymore.

Teddy clenched his hand. "I mean, I'm a lot of things, but incest, I'm definitely not," the man finished.

Teddy's eyes immediately widened, "Wait what?"

The blond man held out his hand, "I'm Louis, her brother. I take it she left you hanging yesterday?"

Teddy stood there speechless, "Louis as in Louis, Victoire's little brother?" he thought.

"Yeah sorry to break it to you mate, she's probably not interested," Louis continued but was soon taken by surprise when Teddy pulled him in for a hug.

"Sir, if you don't let go of me, I'm going to have to…"Louis started but Teddy let go at that moment.

"Louis, it's me, Teddy!" Teddy exclaimed. He should have seen it earlier; the resemblance between Louis and his sister was unmistakable but he blamed it on his half sleepy state.

Louis' eyes widened at that moment, "Piss off! Teddy?" This time, Louis was the one to offer a one-arm hug.

"Mate, I haven't seen you since…I don't know but too long," Louis said once he let go.

* * *

After Teddy explained to Louis that Victoire didn't come home last night after they had a small fight, he offered to take Louis out for breakfast. Teddy learned that Louis was now working in Romania with Charlie at the dragon reservation, which explained when he had so many scars on his arms. "Oh and this one, I got from a nasty little Hungarian Horntail," Louis said as held out his arm for Teddy to see. They were currently sitting in a small café where Teddy frequently visited for breakfast.

Teddy smirked, "I'm glad I chose to be a journalist."

"Well, that's no fun. C'mon when was the last time you camped out and hung out with the guys. Drinking firewhiskey, talking about girls…" Louis said, seemingly reminiscing about his days in the woods.

Teddy rolled his eyes, "Well, here in civilization, we don't have time to play with dragons, people actually work," Teddy joked.

Louis scrunched his face, "Real funny mate. But trust me, you don't know what you're missing. You should come visit sometime and I'll take you camping."

"I think I'll stay away from dragons," Teddy said as he took a sip of his coffee.

"Well we don't need to camp with dragons. Say, I heard that there's a lot of forest area upstate. How about we go for a visit up there while I'm here!" Louis said as he stuffed his mouth with eggs.

Teddy looked at him with disgust, he suddenly wondered why such a good-looking bloke like Louis which a French background had such awful table manners. Louis seemed to notice Teddy's expression and shrugged, "Hey, you never know when a dragon's going to turn up, gotta eat fast."

"So what do you say?" Louis asked again.

"About what?" Teddy asked, he had been too distracted with Louis' table manners to remember what he had asked previously.

"About going camping upstate," Louis said.

Teddy shook his head, "I don't know mate. I'm usually swamped with work."

"So take a week off. I did, and here I am," Louis said obviously.

Teddy was still hesitant; he hadn't seen Louis in years and really did want to catch up but his idea of where to catch up was disturbing. Unfortunately, Louis was apparently stuck on the idea that they should go camping. "Vic can come too," Louis offered, suddenly breaking Teddy's concentration.

"What?" Teddy asked again. This time it wasn't that he didn't hear Louis; it was that he suddenly remembered he still had to talk to Victoire and this was the first time she was brought up in the conversation. He had been taken off guard.

Louis smirked, "Yeah, that'll do it. So it's settled, I'll let her know."

"What's that suppose to mean?" Teddy asked in a confused tone.

"I'm not stupid Ted. You fancy her don't you?" Louis asked. Suddenly Teddy felt his face warm up; he had almost forgotten their conversation outside Victoire's apartment. He had said a lot when he didn't know that it was actually Louis who he was talking to.

"Is it really that obvious?" Teddy asked in a defeated tone.

Louis looked surprised, "So you do fancy her?" It didn't take long before his surprised face turned into a smug one. It was then that Teddy realized he had just admitted openly to Louis that he liked Victoire.

"I mean, I was just fishing but hey, if you say so," Louis said in a sly tone.

"You can't tell her that Louis," Teddy jumped.

"Why not?" Louis scrunched his face.

Teddy sighed, "It's complicated."

"Well good thing we have a whole week in the woods to figure that out," Louis said with a smirk. Before he knew it, Louis had stood up.

"I've got a sister to visit," Louis declared and turned to give Teddy a wink. Teddy groaned before he followed after Louis. On their way to Victoire's office, Teddy had recounted the whole story to Louis, well the important parts anyways. For some reason, it felt good that he had someone to talk to. Sure he had told Olivia but she had her own problems to deal with, it was just nice to talk to an uninvolved third party.

_**Victoire's POV**_

Victoire did not want to go home tonight, and the first place that popped into her mind was Millicent's. She was pretty sure Kevin was there but she didn't care, she needed her best friend and she sure as hell deserved the time, especially after all the worry Millicent had put onto her. Not to mention, she was making a whole wedding dress for her.

Just as Victoire had suspected, Kevin was at Millicent's flat. But when Victoire had said, "I need my best friend," while giving Millicent a knowing look, her friend told Kevin that he should go home for tonight. Despite that, her friend sure took her sweet time saying goodbye to her fiancé but Victoire really couldn't hold a grudge on Millicent for that, she was the one who was interrupting.

"Millie, everything is screwed up," Victoire said when Millicent finally closed the door.

"Don't tell me, is this about Lucas?" Millicent said as she sat next to Victoire on her bed.

Victoire nodded. "Oh my god, is he really a woman pretending to be a man? Or maybe a criminal? Or…or…"Millicent exclaimed loudly while trying to rack her brain for some more ridiculous accusations.

Victoire suddenly sat up and held Millicent in place, "Where the hell did that come from?"

"I don't know. I was just hoping it was something exciting, at least exciting enough that you had to come this late at night," Millicent said, emphasizing the last part but said it with the signature Millicent sarcasm that Victoire knew her friend was joking.

"Well, maybe not exciting in that sense, but I'd say it's more then I bargained for," Victoire said. She watched as Millicent made herself comfortable, waiting for Victoire to tell her something interesting.

Victoire sighed, "Lucas or rather Luke is actually an old friend of Teddy's." Millicent looked at her with shock, her face asking Victoire silently if she was telling the truth. Victoire nodded before continuing.

"And I think he broke up with me," Victoire said in a surprisingly nonchalant tone. After she had left Teddy's flat, she began to run through her head the possibilities of when Luke could have possibly broken up with her. She had been stumped until she remembered the letter that she had yet to read. At the time, she was excited to read what he had written but now, she suspected it was probably better left unread. She concluded it was probably something the along the lines of, "It was fun while it lasted but I've got better things to do."

But the weird thing was, she wasn't exactly sad about the affair either, to be honest, she didn't really think the relationship was going anywhere and she mainly kept it to have some fun. The only thing she regretted was the fact that it had led her to have a fight with Teddy, and for what, for her insecurities? She didn't know how but she knew she had to fix things up with Teddy, just not tonight.

"Wait, what do you mean you _think_ he broke up with you?" Millicent asked. Victoire continued to explain her thoughts and the events that transpired to Millicent for the rest of the night before Millicent was satisfied with the details and called it a night.

* * *

Victoire went to the office the next day. She wasn't going to get anything done at home so she decided to go to office even if it meant people would think she was back to work and that would mean she would probably be pestered with a million questions that involved work. Despite this, she decided to take the chance. Victoire however decided that she would rather have as much time to herself as she could so she got up extra early and headed to the office before everyone else got the chance to see her. She quickly locked the door and closed the shades and got to work. She also told Millicent to keep everyone away from her office.

She made it all the way to lunch before someone knocked on the door. Apparently people had caught on, it was inevitable and she was actually surprised she lasted until lunch. She reluctantly got off her chair and walked over to the door. "Yes I'm in the office but I'm not working so leave me alone," Victoire said in a monotone voice.

To her surprise, it wasn't any of her employees, "Now is that any way to talk to you favorite brother?"

"Louis!" Victoire exclaimed after she realized it was her brother. "And you're my only brother," she chuckled.

"Fine, but I'm your favorite _sibling,_" he offered.

Victoire rolled her eyes but gave into her brother's persistence, "Only if you don't tell Nikki."

Louis chuckled before giving her a hug. "Wait, what are you doing here?" Victoire asked.

Louis scrunched his face, "What? You didn't get my letter?"

Victoire slapped her hand on her head, "No, right I got it. I've had so much to deal with lately, it slipped my mind. And I just didn't think you would be here today."

"So I've heard," Louis said with a smirk.

Victoire looked at Louis suspiciously, "What have you heard?"

Louis broke into a laugh, "I'll tell you what, I'm starving." Victoire rolled her eyes before she grabbed her coat and locked the office door.

"This better be good, I'm exposing myself to everyone when they actually think I'm at home," Victoire said.

_**Teddy's POV**_

After Teddy had led Louis all the way to Victoire's office building, he told Louis that he had to get to work. In reality, it was his day off but he didn't feel like seeing Victoire just yet. He didn't want their argument to disrupt her meeting with Louis. When he apparated back to his flat, he noticed Olivia standing outside the door.

"Liv? Is everything alright?" Teddy asked.

Olivia sighed, "I tried to talk to him, I mean I left him messages but he never got back to me."

"Did you leave your messages with the front desk?" Teddy asked.

Olivia nodded. "But I'm pretty sure he ignored them," she chuckled.

"Let's go talk to him now," Teddy said as he started pulling Olivia with him but she didn't budge.

"Ted, I tried. I'm not going to push him if he doesn't want to talk to me. And besides, I can't stay here forever; in fact, I shouldn't have stayed this long. Andy is still at home and I'm not exactly even sure what I want to do about this whole situation. But right now, my baby needs me; I have to get back to England. I just came here to say goodbye," Olivia said.

"But…"Teddy started but Olivia shook her head to stop him.

"Thanks for everything Ted. We'll keep in touch more this time," she said before she paused and smiled, "Maybe you could even think about visiting?" she said in a knowing tone.

Teddy chuckled before he hugged her, "I promise to visit." He paused, "Oh and Luke is a prat."

Teddy felt Olivia shake from laughter but he also heard a few sniffles in between the laughs. He sighed, "What the hell do you think you're doing Luke," he thought.

**A/N: Since Dominique got a scene last time, I thought it would only be fair for Louis to get a scene as well. Although from the look of things, his part will probably extend beyond just one chapter. And it's pretty sad but I just remembered Olivia couldn't possibly stay too long since she still has a baby to care for so I made her leave. But of course, not the last you will see of her. Stay tuned and please comment and review.**


	23. Camp Grounds

**A/N: Okay, longest chapter yet. I just wanted to keep the whole camp part of the story in one section and I didn't think there was enough content to cover two chapters so I just stuffed it into one chapter. Hope this will tide you guys over for a while, I know I've been slow for updates but I haven't written anything for maybe a week and my reserves are dwindling down so I've been reluctant to put them up but I can't punish you guys for my laziness so here's the next chapter. Hope you enjoy!  
**

**********************************Disclaimer: JK Rowling owns Harry Potter.**

**Chapter 23 **

Somehow Louis had managed to convince her that camping upstate was a good idea. Victoire was currently packing her bag, they were going to stay for four days since Louis only had a week in America before Uncle Charlie needed him back. And when they met up with Millicent, the camping plan had spilled and now Millicent was coming along with them. Unfortunately, Kevin said he couldn't get out of his job so he couldn't go with them. Millicent was sad but quickly bounced back after Louis had told her what they were going to do.

"Ready?" Louis asked when he came to pick them up at around five.

Victoire shrugged, "Ready as I'll ever be."

"Oh this is going to be so exciting," Millicent said as she held her bag.

Victoire rolled her eyes before she and Millicent took a hold of Louis' arms and the three of them apparated away. The next time she opened her eyes, she definitely wasn't in the city anymore. They were surrounded by trees and grass everywhere; she couldn't imagine how they were going to find their way around. They walked a few miles before they finally came to a stop. "This is it," Louis said.

When Victoire looked ahead, she saw the beautiful water just beyond their campsite. When she turned to the side however, she noticed a tent was already up. Before she could ask, Teddy had walked out of it. Her eyes immediately connected with his, they stood for a minute without saying a word before Millicent pulled her towards the second tent Louis had just finished setting up, "This is ours!"

Victoire turned around once more but noticed Teddy was no longer staring at her but was now talking to Louis. She didn't know Teddy was going to be here as well; this was something her brother had failed to mention. Suddenly, she was glad Millicent came as well, she couldn't imagine how awkward it would have been if it had just been the three of them.

"You didn't say your friend Ted was going to be here as well," Millicent said as she organized her clothing.

"I didn't know either," Victoire mumbled.

Millicent looked up, "Hmm, I wonder why your brother didn't say anything. But it's fine, the whole Luke situation is settled right?" Victoire had told her friend everything was fine but the truth of the matter was, she hadn't talked to Luke or Teddy for the past few days but she didn't want Millicent to worry since she was busy with planning her wedding.

Victoire nodded, "Yeah, everything's fine," she said with little conviction.

For a moment, she was afraid Millicent suspected something was wrong but it passed soon enough. "Whatever, let's have some fun," Millicent suggested. Although Victoire agreed, she seriously wondered how much fun she was really going to have.

* * *

By nightfall, all four of them had gathered around a fire that Louis had made and were currently roasting some marshmallows. Victoire had asked Louis before why he didn't tell her Teddy was going to be joining them to which he had asked why it was such a big deal. She immediately retracted her questions, the truth was, there was nothing wrong with Louis inviting Teddy, in fact, Victoire had initially wanted to tell Teddy of Louis' visit anyways. She dropped the questions soon enough. Victoire was now situated between Millicent and Louis while Teddy sat across from her. Throughout the whole night, she noticed he had been sneaking glances at her but the moment she looked at him, he would turn around.

But it's not like she couldn't say the same for herself, even though they had yet to exchange any real words aside from some pleasantries, she couldn't help but steal glances at him. Ever since she broke up with Luke, her feelings for Teddy had only multiplied. She figured that she had suppressed her feelings for so long that it was all coming out now in one big confusing mess.

After what seemed like the longest silence, Millicent announced that she was going to bed so she could be ready for tomorrow. Louis had suggested for them to go hiking up the mountain where there was suppose to be this zip line of sorts that they could take down when they reached the top. Victoire was never one for hiking but it was better then sitting around and staring at each other for the next three days.

However, almost immediately after Millicent left, Louis announced as well that he was going to his tent, leaving only Teddy and Victoire. They sat across from each other; the only thing separating them was the campfire. Victoire noticed a few times where Teddy looked like he was struggling to say something but he never did. She was starting to grow tired of the silence so she decided she might as well head to bed as well.

"Vic?" Teddy asked after she had turned to enter her tent that she shared with Millicent. She instantly froze at him calling her. Victoire waited a few more seconds, it seemed Teddy was still struggling with his words. However, the wait soon ended.

"Night," Teddy said with a sighed. Victoire sighed as well, she was really hoping to hear to something else but dismissed it with a "Night" of her own before she finally entered the tent. Millicent was already asleep in her room so she made sure to step around the tent quietly before she reached her room.

However as the night went on, Victoire grew more frustrated. "Why can he just apologize already!" she thought. Victoire sighed, "But I was the one who kept something from him," she was struggling with her thoughts. "Maybe I should just say something first," she said. "No, for once, I'm not going to be the first to say something," she finalized before finally succumbing to sleep.

* * *

The next day, Millicent had woken up bright and early, which meant that Victoire was up as well. "Isn't this exciting?" Millicent asked as the four of them trailed up the mountain.

"Not really," Victoire responded, in fact, her feet was beginning to feel sore and her back was starting to hurt from carrying her backpack.

Louis suddenly looked back; he and Teddy were ahead of them since they had longer legs. "Cheer up Vic, we're almost there," Louis chuckled.

"Ugh, we're not even close Louis, you're just trying to kill me," Victoire smirked.

Louis shrugged, "Maybe I am," before he turned back around and proceeded walking ahead.

To her surprise, Teddy hadn't moved, he waited until she and Millicent had caught up, "Do you want me to carry your bag?" he asked.

Victoire stared at Teddy. He had yet to speak to her and the one time he manages to say more then one word, it was to ask if she wanted him to carry her bag. She almost gave in because of his sweet gestured but she shook her head. She had to make him realize she wasn't going to do anything until he talked first. "No thanks," she said coldly.

"Hey if you're not going to take the offer, I'll take it," Millicent said as she stood next to them. Teddy stared at Victoire a moment longer before he looked over a Millicent. Victoire watched as her friend smiled sweetly at Teddy while holding out her bag. Teddy took it without another word and started walking again.

Victoire threw Millicent an angry look. "What? He offered," Millicent said as she shrugged. After what seemed like hours, the four had finally reached the top of the mountain. Victoire was the last to reach the top since after Millicent handed her bag over to Teddy; she practically breezed to the top.

"Here is it," Louis said as he pointed to the long cable that stretched down the mountain.

Victoire looked down the line and instantly became afraid. She didn't want to admit it but heights had always frightened her, "What are we suppose to do?"

"Well, you get tied up to a harness and you grab onto that handle, gravity should take you all the way down the mountain," Louis explained.

"All the way down?" Victoire gulped.

At that moment, a man emerged from behind carrying four harnesses, "You ready?"

"Yeah!" Millicent said excitedly although Victoire couldn't say the same.

"Alright, who is pairing up with who?" the man asked.

"Wait what?" Victoire asked, she had thought they would be going down alone.

"It will be much easier to reach the bottom with more weight," Louis said obviously as he started buckling himself into the harness.

The man had moved on to buckling Millicent in before he tied them together. Victoire suddenly realized that if Millicent was going with Louis, she would have to be with Teddy but before she could have a say in the matter, Louis and Millicent were already adjusted on the line, "See you down there guys," Louis said. The next minute, they were gone.

"Alright, your turn," the man directed at her and Teddy. When they were both tied into their harnesses, the man instructed them on how to position themselves. He told Teddy to stand in front to grab the handle while Victoire had to hold onto Teddy. Victoire hesitantly wrapped her arms around his torso but it didn't take long for her to became adjusted to the position. She rested her head on his back and before she knew it, they were pushed off.

On their way down, Victoire began feeling more anxious; the drop was making her heart beat faster which in turn made her grip Teddy even tighter. Her eyes were shut tight before she felt a warm hand over hers, "Remember when we use to play pretend?" he asked.

Victoire snapped her eyes open at his touch; his voice had instantly calmed her nerves. "Yeah," she managed to mumble. For the rest of the way down, Teddy had continued to recount their childhood and she gradually started to relax and soften her grip. It didn't take long before she realized they had made it to the ground.

"Thanks," Victoire whispered when they managed to finally take the harnesses off.

She watched as he rubbed the back of his neck, "S'no problem. I remembered you were afraid of heights."

Victoire nodded, she was pleasantly surprised that he still remembered after all these years. "Maybe we should stick to the ground next time," he said with a lazy grin which made Victoire's heart beat even stronger then when she had been scared just earlier.

The moment passed soon enough when Louis came running to the pair of them with a worried look. "What's wrong Louis? Where's Millie?" Victoire asked as she looked around for her friend but she was nowhere in sight.

* * *

Millicent had apparently twisted her ankle on their landing. Victoire was extremely worried but her friend brushed it off as a minor injury. However, this meant that her trip would be cut short. Louis had offered to bring Millicent back into the city, Victoire offered to go as well but Millicent refused and said she was okay. "Stay here and have some fun Vic," Millicent said as Louis grabbed their bags.

"But you're hurt Millie," Victoire said.

Millicent brushed it off, "It's just a small sprain, I'll live. Besides, you're technically still on vacation, don't waste it."

Victoire argued for a while longer before Millicent had absolutely shut her offers down. She watched worriedly as Louis and Millicent apparated away. Louis said he would be back as soon as he could and that Teddy and Victoire should stay. Before she knew it, they had left. Suddenly, she felt unsettled; she had been worrying so much over Millicent that she didn't realize this meant she would be alone with Teddy until Louis managed his way back.

_**Teddy's POV**_

By nightfall, Louis still had not returned. Teddy had offered to make them dinner since Victoire seemed too preoccupied with worry over Millicent. When he finished cooking the meal, he walked over to Victoire and handed her a plate before he sat down across from her. "Thanks," she managed.

Teddy watched as she absentmindedly picked over her food and sighed. "You know, if you don't like my food, just say so; you don't need to spare my feelings," he joked, trying to lighten up the mood.

Victoire smiled, "Sorry, I'm just worried about Millie." Teddy nodded before he stood up and sat next to Victoire, he was feeling bold. And apparently, Victoire thought so as well because she seemed surprised when he plopped himself down next to her.

Teddy rested his elbows on his thighs and placed his hands together so he could rest his head on it. After some extended silence, he finally spoke up. "I'm sorry about yelling at you Vic. It wasn't any of my business who you were dating," he said.

He looked up to gauge her response. She continued to stare only at her food. Thankfully, after a few seconds, she spoke up. "I'm sorry too, about not telling you. And I guess it all blew up in my face huh?" she asked lightly before she looked at him with a smile.

Teddy's fears instantly melted when he saw that she was no longer mad at him and had even managed to make fun of herself. He decided to roll with it, "I'd say so."

Just as he expected, Victoire had playfully punched him. He started laughing before she started as well. "Well at least the snogs were good," she managed to stifle in between the laughs.

Teddy suddenly froze, before swallowing, "Did you fancy Luke?" He knew how foolish it sounded, of course she must have at least fancied him a bit if she actually went out with him for more then one date but he couldn't control his impulse. He wanted to know the extent of how much she liked Luke.

Victoire seemed to notice Teddy was no longer laughing and suddenly grew quiet. She looked like she was deep in thought before finally responding. "I guess you can say I was attracted to him," she paused. Teddy suddenly felt like someone had kicked him in the gut.

"But, I don't think it was anything more than that," she finished. Teddy immediately looked up at her, she didn't look like she was lying for the sake of saving face for the fact that Luke had dumped her and Teddy had hoped beyond hope that he was reading her correctly.

Before he knew it, Victoire had stood up and yawned. "I'm really tired, I think I'm calling it a night," she said.

Teddy stood up with her, "Yeah, pretty tiring day."

"Well, thanks for dinner," Victoire said, "And for earlier," she whispered.

He nodded before he stood awkwardly, he wondered if he was allowed to hug her now that they seemed to have gotten over the whole Luke fiasco. However, he didn't have to ponder it much, Victoire had reached up and hugged him before placing a small kiss on his cheeks. It took all of Teddy's power to morph away any signs of embarrassment before she let go of him and left to her tent.

* * *

The next day, Teddy realized Louis still had not returned. He was beginning to wonder if he would return in time at all. Teddy thought about asking Victoire if they should just go home but thought better of it when he realized this was going to be the only time he would be alone with her with no interruptions. They had spent the day exploring the woods since Victoire wasn't up for doing anything too extensive since she was still worried over Millicent. When the day drew to an end, Louis had failed to show up once again.

Teddy currently sat on the log as he stared beyond the water. Victoire was inside her tent packing up. She had suggested they share a tent for the last day since it seemed like Louis wasn't coming back and that they should pack up the tent so it would be less work when they had to leave. "Teddy, could you give me a hand?" Victoire called out. Teddy snapped his head and at first didn't see her until he looked closer and realized she had her stuff piled so high that it covered her head.

He chuckled, "Why did you bring so much stuff," he said when he relieved her of some items and helped her carry them to his tent.

Victoire pouted, "I didn't know what to expect for four days in the woods." When Teddy finished helping Victoire move, they took down the tent and shrunk it to fit in their bags.

That night, Teddy rolled around on his bed restlessly. He couldn't help but think about the fact that Victoire was sleeping just a few feet away from him. "She is going to be the death of me," Teddy muttered before drifting off.

* * *

On their last day, Teddy had suggested to go swimming down at the lake. To his surprise, Victoire actually agreed. She looked more relaxed today, it seemed like she wasn't as worried over Millicent as she had been the day before. However, when Victoire exited the tent with just a bikini, Teddy knew it was going to be difficult. Instead of enjoying a swim, he was going to have to keep his emotions in check. Teddy stared at Victoire as she walked closer, her hips swaying from side to side. His eyes traveled from her legs all the way up her body before reaching her face.

"Ready?" she said in a bubbly tone. Teddy nodded but made no indication of moving from his spot; he continued to stare at her.

"Teddy?" Victoire asked when she realized he had yet to move. Teddy blinked a few times before he noticed how close she was standing. She instantly smiled when she managed to snap him out of his daze.

"C'mon, let's go," she suggested once more.

"Right, yeah, let's go," Teddy stammered.

_**Victoire's POV**_

"Look at that pretty flower!" Victoire exclaimed when she saw the vibrantly colored flower off the cliff near the lake. She had tried to reach it but unfortunately wasn't tall enough. She even asked Teddy as well but he was just short of reaching it and they had both left their wands at the shore.

Suddenly, an idea came to mind, she blushed at the thought and what it entailed them to do. "Teddy, could you bend down?" she asked.

Teddy scrunched his face, before bending down, "Like this?"

Victoire giggled before she made her way to him. "Why do you want me to bend down?" Teddy asked but Victoire had acted instead of answering him. She climbed onto his shoulders which took him by surprise a bit since he almost lost his balance.

She heard him chuckled when he finally found his balance, "Okay, now stand up straight," he did as he was told. And just as Victoire thought, they were now tall enough to reach the flower. She reached forward and grabbed it, pulling it out of its roots. She took a whiff of it before handing it over to Teddy to let him enjoy the fruit of their combined effort. However, even after she got the flower, she didn't get off of Teddy nor did she tell him to let her off. Instead, she lingered for a while longer, and before she knew it, she was running her fingers through his wet hair. He had turned it blue but because it was wet, it looked more black then anything.

To her surprise, his hair suddenly showed streaks of what looked to be white. She couldn't really tell since it was only a few strands here and there among the sea of dark hair. She chuckled, "Teddy, you work too hard."

"Why is that," Teddy hummed.

"Because, you have white hair," she said as she grabbed a strand to show him. Teddy grew out the particular strand so it was long enough for him to see. However, if the strand became thicker and longer, Victoire realized it wasn't white, it was actually light pink. Teddy seemed to have realized this as well and quickly messed his hair so that it was uniform in color and length again.

"Wait, was that pink?" Victoire asked when she got off of his shoulders.

Teddy reached his neck. "It's probably just some white hair. You're right, I'm working too much," he said in a rather quick and dismissive tone.

Victoire eyed him suspiciously before she decided it was probably nothing. When they made their way back to the tent, Teddy offered to let her shower first. She quickly stripped off her bikini and entered the shower. While she was in there, she began to wonder why Teddy's hair was pink, as much as he denied it, she had seen it up close. It was right after she decided to boldly run her fingers through his hair that she noticed the pink hair appearing. Was it that it had made him uncomfortable?

She continued to ponder even after she had absentmindedly stepped out of the showers. However, at that moment, there was a loud clang, she snapped her head to the direction of the sound and suddenly wanted to crawl under a rock. Teddy currently stood at the other side with his hands over his eyes. She noticed his hair was currently purple. Victoire immediately hid herself behind the flap, she was presently, sporting very little clothing when Teddy had walked in. "Sorry Vic, I thought you were still in the shower, I heard the water was still running," Teddy stuttered.

Victoire turned around and sure enough, the shower head was still running. She had been so deep in thought that she didn't even realize she had left the shower without turning it off and covering herself. "I'm going to go out, give me a sign when I can come back in," Teddy said before quickly darting out of the tent.

Victoire sighed, if things were awkward before, it just got a bit more awkward. Not to mention, Teddy had darted out the tent as fast as he could like it was a disease to see her naked. She had hoped that if she was going to be put in this embarrassing situation, Teddy could have at least given her a better reaction. But who was she kidding, of course he would have reacted this way, he probably still thought of her as his best childhood friend/family.

However, one thing did come out of this whole ordeal, she now knew his hair turned purple when he was embarrassed. As she dressed herself, she thought back to all the colors Teddy's hair would change into for different moods. She knew his hair turned red when he was angry, green when he was nervous and now purple when he was embarrassed. But what had pink stood for? After much thought, she finally came to the conclusion that pink probably meant he was uncomfortable as she initially thought. There was nothing else that she could think of, except for one but she knew it wasn't it. It couldn't be, could it?


	24. Plus One

**************************************Disclaimer: JK Rowling owns Harry Potter.**

**Chapter 24 **

"What's up with you?" Millicent asked when Victoire slipped into her office and slumped on the couch. It had been two days since the camping trip and the only thing that occupied Victoire's thoughts these days were Teddy. During the trip, Millicent had sprained her ankle, and Louis had volunteered to bring Millicent back but he never really did come back himself. When Victoire got home, her brother told her he just wanted to make sure Millicent was okay which was why he didn't make it back for the rest of the trip.

"Remind me again why I didn't kill Louis?" Victoire said. Louis had gone back to Romania just a few hours ago. After the incident with Teddy, Victoire blamed her brother for leaving the two of them alone, although she didn't exactly tell her brother the details of why she was so worked up about the whole situation.

Millicent looked up from her work. "Because he was being a good friend, so his sister shouldn't take it out on him," she answered before eyeing Victoire suspiciously. "What happened up there?" she asked.

Victoire sighed, "Nothing, I just wanted to spend time with my brother _since _that's why he came in the first place."

"Well you did get to spend the last two days with him," Millicent said with a shrug.

"So are you going to tell me what the real problem is?" Millicent asked before looking down again. "Because if you're not, I think you should get back to a dress waiting to be finished for a wedding," Millicent hinted ever so subtly.

Victoire rolled her eyes, "Alright, alright, I can take a hint. I'm going." Millicent waved her off without looking up. When Victoire exited Millicent's office, she sighed. She really wanted to tell her friend about Teddy but she just couldn't find the right words to explain the oddity of her feelings. Sure, Millicent would probably think nothing of it, but she didn't understand the fact that in her family, Teddy was practically called family. It would be weird to date family. She walked towards her office in defeat; maybe it would be easier if she just concentrated on her work.

* * *

"Oh my goodness!" Millicent squealed.

Victoire smiled, "So I take it that you like it?"

Millicent looked at Victoire like she was crazy. "Like it? Vic, I love it!" she said before giving Victoire a hug.

"Try it on, I need to see if we need to make some adjustments," Victoire suggested. Millicent nodded enthusiastically before running into the dressing room to change into her wedding dress.

When she came back in, Victoire was so overjoyed that she felt a few tears developing. "Oh honey, you look so beautiful," Victoire said.

"You really think so?" Millicent asked.

Victoire rolled her eyes; she knew it was only a matter of seconds before her friend stopped being humble. Millicent was never too modest about how good she looked in clothes but Victoire decided to humor her since it was her wedding dress and even she had to admit, her friend looked beautiful. "Yes Millie, you look wonderful," she said with a slight tone of sarcasm that she was sure her friend wouldn't pick up.

"I agree, I look amazing in this dress," Millicent said right after. Victoire laughed a little but stopped when Millicent stared at her.

"But seriously Vic, this is amazing. I love you!" Millicent said while she stepped off the pedestal and gave Victoire another hug.

"You have no idea how good of a distraction that was," Victoire mumbled to herself. Making the dress had taken up most of Victoire's time, especially since the dressed needed to be done in less than a month.

Millicent continued to stare at herself in the mirror, "What did you say?" she asked absentmindedly.

"Me? I didn't say anything," Victoire snapped, she didn't think her friend was even paying that much attention since she seemed so engrossed at admiring herself.

"Oh, I wanted to ask, are you going to bring a plus one?" Millicent said when she finally looked away from the mirrors.

Victoire paused, she had completely forgotten about the actual wedding. "Oh, I don't think I will. I've been too busy with making your dress, I haven't even had a chance to find any dates," Victoire lied. The truth was, she had been thinking about it quite a bit, she had thought about asking Teddy to accompany her but wondered if it would be weird. Victoire had avoided Teddy as much as possible for the past two weeks due to the embarrassing incident. She often made the excuse that work was keeping her, which was only partly true.

"Why don't you bring Ted?" Millicent asked, breaking into her thoughts.

"Ted?" Victoire asked with a sudden snap, she was taken by surprise; it almost seemed like her friend had just read her mind.

Millicent threw Victoire a funny look, "Yeah, Ted your friend."

Victoire scrunched her nose, "I know who Teddy is. I was just surprised that you asked me."

Millicent shrugged, "Why? I know he's your best friend, not better then me of course," she said while pointing to herself, "But it'll be fun. Besides, I would have invited him myself if you weren't going to have him as your plus one."

"Why? I mean, how come you were going to invite him?" Victoire corrected, she didn't want to sound too hostile.

"Well, he works with the newspaper, I just thought it would be some good publicity for the company. This dress _is_ a fashion masterpiece," she said.

Victoire laughed, "You don't mind turning your wedding into a business deal?"

"Hey, any situation can turn into an opportunity. You never know," Millicent responded in a singsong voice.

Victoire shook her head at her friend's reasoning; she would never want the press at her wedding. For Victoire, she had always dreamed of her perfect wedding and it was suppose to be intimate, not some media circus. "Well, I don't think Teddy would want to work if he was coming to the wedding," Victoire said with a chuckle.

"Well, I still say you take him as your plus one. That way, I don't need to send him a separate invitation and if he decides to bring a plus one, that's one more table setting I need to assign," Millicent said.

Victoire furrowed her brow, she hadn't thought about that. What if Teddy did come to Millicent's wedding and decided to bring his own date? But if she asked Teddy to be her plus one, then they would be with each other, no question. Victoire thought about this for a while before looking up at Millicent, "Put me down with a plus one."

Millicent smiled, "So does that mean I have to send out one more invite or one less?"

"One less," Victoire said quickly and before Millicent had a chance to say anymore, Victoire got started on adjusting the dress.

_**Teddy's POV**_

"So Mal said that he was assigning me to the Lakyn story," Caleb said as he and Teddy rode on the elevator.

"That's great," Teddy said with a tired sigh. Teddy had been running on three-hour sleeps and lots of coffee this past week. With two other journalists out sick, he had been burdened with more work then usual.

Suddenly, Teddy felt a vibration in his jacket pocket. It was his cellphone, however, his hands were currently preoccupied with the large boxes of files he was carrying. "Hey, could you see who's calling me?" Teddy said as he nodded towards his pocket.

Caleb reached into Teddy's jacket and picked out the phone. When he saw who had been calling Teddy, a smug smile formed on his face. Teddy tried to peak over the boxes but no luck, "Who is it?" he asked, growing impatient and was beginning to wish he hadn't asked Caleb to take his phone.

At that moment, Caleb finally looked up, "It's from Victoire." Teddy suddenly felt himself blush, Caleb had unfortunately known about his current situation with Victoire. When Caleb made a move to answer the phone, Teddy quickly stopped him. It's not that he didn't want to talk to Victoire, he did; it's just that he didn't want to talk to her in front of Caleb. However, he was currently in no position to argue, his hands were full and there was nothing stopping his friend from answering the phone.

And that is exactly how it ended up happening; Caleb smirked at Teddy's request before answering the phone. Teddy sighed in defeat. "Hi, this is Caleb answering for Ted, what can I do for you?" Caleb said.

Teddy shook his head, not only did Caleb answer the phone, but he was making it seem like he didn't know who Victoire was. "Oh, hi _Victoire,_" Caleb said with emphasis while looking at Teddy, gloating at the fact that Teddy couldn't do a thing but watch from the side. "Yes, Ted is busy right now but can I take a message?" Caleb asked.

Teddy strained to try to hear what she had said but couldn't get much out of it. After a few exchanges, Caleb hung up the phone and placed it back in Teddy's pocket. "So what did she say?" Teddy asked anxiously.

Caleb smiled at Teddy, "I thought you didn't want to know."

Teddy furrowed his brow, "I didn't want you to answer the phone," he said loudly. "But since you never listen to me and picked it up anyways, I think I have a right to know what my friend wanted to tell me," Teddy finished.

Caleb chuckled before shaking his head, "Ted man, when are you going to just tell her you like her? I mean look at you, one phone call from her after two weeks and you look about ready to jump off a cliff to hear what she had to say."

Teddy frowned, "That's not funny." When they finally reached their floor, Teddy immediately dropped the boxes off and tailed Caleb.

When they reached Caleb's office, Caleb stopped just outside. "She told me to tell you that she wondered if you had time to go over to her apartment tonight," he finally said.

Teddy looked at Caleb with his eyes wide open, "Tell me you told her I was too busy. I mean, Mal's got me working overtime, there's no way I have time tonight."

"Then you're going to have to call her yourself and cancel," Caleb said before walking into his office.

"What!" Teddy exclaimed as he followed Caleb into the office.

"C'mon Ted, you've been bitching to me for the past few weeks about how you think she's avoiding you and now that she's inviting you to her apartment, you're going to ditch?" Caleb asked.

Teddy stood silently; Caleb did have a valid point that was hard to argue with. "But…" he started but was cut off by his friend.

"I'll take care of your work," Caleb said with a wave.

Teddy immediately looked up, "You serious?"

Caleb nodded, "But you owe me!"

Just before Teddy left the office after thanking Caleb and assuring him he would make it up to him, Caleb called out to him. "Oh Ted, make sure to wear something nice," he finished.

Teddy scrunched his face, "Did she say we were going somewhere?"

Caleb shrugged with a smug smile. "Prat," Teddy muttered before leaving the office, he knew Caleb wasn't going to say anything else.

* * *

When Teddy got home, he quickly took a shower before he brought out his nice clothes so see what he should wear. He wasn't sure what to wear, he didn't know if he should take Caleb seriously about wearing something nice or if he should just go as he is. It's not like Victoire minded, she'd seen him countless times with just casual clothing but if it did turn out that he needed to wear something fancy, he would look stupid wearing a t-shirt and jeans. Once again, Caleb managed to play with his head but at least this time, he had offered to cover for Teddy so he couldn't be too angry with his friend.

After about ten minutes of going back and forth about what to wear, Teddy decided on a button down shirt with a pair of jeans. He was going to compromise. Without a second thought, he grabbed his wand and apparated to Victoire's flat. When he reached the hall to her apartment, he immediately smelled the inviting aroma that was emitting from beyond her door. Teddy composed himself before knocking on the door.

It didn't take long for her to answer the door, "Hey Vic," Teddy said when she opened the door. He quickly found himself smiling like a fool after not seeing her for the past two weeks. Victoire immediately hugged him before leading him into her flat. When he finally entered, he saw that the aromas were coming from the prepared food that was currently sitting on the dinning table.

"You cooked all this?" Teddy asked while he stared at all the food with wonder.

Victoire nodded before she rounded the table and handed Teddy a glass of wine. "Yeah, I thought I told Caleb to tell you," she said.

"Tell me what?" Teddy asked.

Victoire furrowed her brow; "He didn't tell you I was inviting your over for dinner?" Teddy silently cursed Caleb for not telling him the whole story and was slightly relieved that he hadn't gone all out and dressed up, he would have looked like a complete nut.

"Uh, no, no, he did. I was just distracted by all the food you cooked," Teddy said, quickly making up an excuse. When she smiled at his response, he breathed a sigh of relief. He didn't want to make it seem like he was insensitive like one of those workaholics who did what their assistants told them to do, only to not know who's house they showed up at.

* * *

"What is this called again?" Teddy asked as he dug into a delicious cake like dessert with cherries.

Victoire chuckled, "Clafoutis aux Cerises."

Teddy shuddered, hearing Victoire's French had a strangely erotic response on him. He managed to keep himself in check before she suspected him of anything. But when he looked back at her, she was watching him curiously as if he had something on his face. "What? Do I have something on my face?" he chuckled before reaching around his face to check.

She shook her head before speaking up, "I wanted to ask you something."

"Shoot," Teddy said as he continued to enjoy the dessert.

Victoire paused; she seemed like she was thinking her question over quite a bit. "I was wondering if you would like to be my plus one to Millicent's wedding," she finally said. Teddy stared at her. "I mean, you don't have to if you're busy," she started. Teddy was about to speak but she continued her ramble. "I wouldn't have asked if I had time to find a date," she said.

This instantly changed Teddy's mood. "He was only her last resort," he thought.

Victoire seemed to have noticed her mistake, "I didn't mean it like that, I just didn't think you wanted to go to a wedding for someone you barely know. Well I know you know Millie but…" she paused before taking a breath.

"You know what, let me just stop making a fool out of myself and start over. I would love it if you came with me to Millicent's wedding, and it's not because I don't have anyone else, I want you to come," Victoire said, emphasizing the last part.

Victoire was eyeing him anxiously but Teddy could only think about what she had just said, "she wanted him to go with her," he thought.

"I have more Clafoutis aux Cerises if that'll convince you," she said as if to bribe him.

Teddy snapped away from his thoughts and chuckled. "This is why you were stuffing me with all this tempting food," he joked. He had already dismissed her slip with the not having a date part but he decided to have some fun at her expense anyway.

Victoire smiled guiltily at him. "Well, maybe one more slice will convince me," he said. Victoire watched him in shock, as if she was expecting him to agree on the spot but she obliged and handed him another piece.

Teddy slowly took a bite of the dessert before pretending to think things over. "Hmm, I'll tell you what Vic. I'll go with you to the wedding if you agree to bake this Claf thingy cake for me everyday for the next week."

This time, Victoire realized he was joking and stood up to swat him. "Not funny Teddy," she said with a laugh. Teddy managed to dodge her and started tickling her before she fell onto his lap.

"I thought it was pretty clever," he said after he finally stopped tickling her. He suddenly realized she was sitting on his lap and thought of how nice it would be if she had chosen to do this willingly. His throat immediate felt dry as he looked at Victoire from her profile as she laughed, revealing her beautiful smile.

When she finally stopped, she seemed to have noticed their awkward position as well. She immediately looked down at where Teddy's hand rested on her waist. When Teddy noticed the blush forming on her cheeks, he instantly let go of her and placed his hand behind his neck. Victoire stood up soon after but didn't do anything right away. After an awkward silence, she sighed and turned around with a smile. "So, it's settled then. You'll come with me to the wedding," she said.

Teddy only nodded, unable to manage any words. "So…"Victoire started.

"I should go," Teddy quickly said.

"Oh right, yeah it's getting late isn't it," Victoire agreed quietly.

Teddy nodded before getting up to help clean up but Victoire refused. She told him not to worry before packing up the leftover Clafoutis aux Cerises for him to take home since he liked it so much.

"Thanks again for inviting me," Teddy paused, "For dinner and the wedding."

Victoire nodded, "It was nice to catch up. Sorry about not being able to see you these past few weeks. I was busy with Millie's dress."

Teddy shook his head, "Whenever you'll have me is fine."

Victoire looked down. "Don't say it like that. You know I'd rather spend time with you then work," she whispered.

"I know that Vic, I was only joking," Teddy said as he pulled her chin up. They stared at each other and for a moment Teddy thought there was something there but she quickly pulled away.

"Okay, well have a good night," she said. Teddy nodded and bid her good night before turning away. When Victoire closed the door, Teddy shook his head. "I am so stupid!" he said while slapping his face.

**A/N: I know it seems like I just keep teasing the two but I swear, something is coming up. Hope you liked the chapter and stay tuned for more! Reviews/comments are always appreciated.**


	25. Elevator Love

**A/N: Okay different format again because I like to keep things fresh. I don't know but I love imagining how it would look if it were a movie when I write so that's how this chapter ended up. It's one of those backwards time scenes. Anyways, I liked the format but I'm not really sure if I like the dialogues too much in this chapter, I felt like it was just spiraling out and had a lot of unnecessary stuff because I wanted to make sure the times matched and had to fill in some hours so it didn't seem like I jumped through the hours unrealistically. Regardless, I hope you enjoy and let me know if you liked the change in format. This is another long chapter.  
**

******************************************Disclaimer: JK Rowling owns Harry Potter.**

**Chapter 25 **

She tilts her head back to savor the gentle pressure applied on her neck by him; which makes her grab his hair even harder. He has her pressed against the elevator but she makes no movement to push him off. Instead, with her free hand, she feels her way against the railing until she finds the protruded button and pushes it. The sudden jolt from the result of pushing the stop button doesn't break them apart. She pulls his head off of her neck and takes just a second to ponder the lust in his eyes before she crushes her lips onto his. His hand slowly makes his way down her dress; luckily, it had a slit down the side of it. When he reaches the back of her knee, he picks her leg up and places it against his hips. She takes the hint and proceeds to hop onto his body and wrap both legs around him. He places one hand on the wall to balance them while the other is still tightly wrapped around her slim waist.

_**12 Hours Earlier**_

Victoire woke up to the alarm just as the sun had risen. She looked at the clock, 9:00, it read. Her head fell back onto her bed; she stared at the ceiling before taking a deep breath. Finally, she slipped her legs out of her bed and into her slippers. This had been her morning ritual for as long as she remembered. It was always nice to have a clear head and dissolve any dreams she might have had during sleep. Victoire immediately headed for the bathroom, it was going to be a long day and she needed to look presentable.

_**11 Hours Earlier**_

"Shit!" Victoire said to herself when she realized she had stayed in her tub for longer then she had planned. She quickly dried herself off before grabbing whatever clothes she had, it didn't matter what she wore, she was going to change into a dress when she got there anyways. Victoire lightly padded some make up onto her face before she looked at the clock once more, 10:00, before she took off.

_**10 Hours Earlier**_

Victoire rushed into the bakery and ordered two dozen pastries to go. She knew Millicent would probably refuse to eat anything but every else sure wouldn't mind having something in their stomach as they try to make it through the long day ahead of them. "Wow, bad day?" Aaron asked when he heard her order.

Victoire chuckled, "They're not all for me!" She heard him hum in a playfully doubtful manner before he left to grab her food.

"Hey Vic, I gave you some extra ones; they're on our special today," Aaron said when he reappeared with the boxes full of pastries.

Victoire smirked, "You're such a sweetheart Aaron. How could I ever repay you?"

"Go on that date with me?" Aaron said with a laugh before sliding the credit card Victoire handed him. Victoire had become a regular to the bakery and she often chatted with Aaron, the store manager everytime she was there. They had developed a small friendship over the years, and it was commonplace for Aaron to ask her out each time. It all started when she first moved to America. She was feeling homesick at the time and one day, came upon a small French bakery around the corner from her apartment. It certainly wasn't as good as the real thing but it was close enough.

On the first day, the man who had served her had asked her out as she paid for her food. At the time Victoire didn't really know what to say and the truth was, she wasn't interested in dating especially after the break up with Leon. Victoire had told him about her break up and Aaron sort of became an outside confidant to her, offering her comfort whenever she was feeling down. They never did go on a date and even after Aaron found a girlfriend, he continued their usual banter.

"Thank you Aaron," Victoire said while ignoring his previous statement with a smile before she turned to go.

"You're such a heart breaker Vic!" Aaron shouted as she left. Victoire smiled at his comment, it was always the finishing touch to their morning banters.

_**9 Hours Earlier**_

The moment Victoire entered the house; she witnessed the chaos that was her friend's wedding. And the second she set the pastries on the table, people from all directions jumped on it like a pack of hyenas. Victoire smiled to herself before she walked into the bride's room. The environment in this room was a lot less hectic since there wasn't nearly as much people running around as the other room but it was by no means calm. She watched as Millicent order around the two stylists who were fixing her hair and make up. It took a minute for her to realize Victoire had entered but when she did, she immediately started ordering her around as well.

"Where have you been Vic? You're suppose to get here early to get hair and make up done!" Millicent said to Victoire through the mirror.

Victoire rolled her eyes, "Calm down Millie, we are on time." Victoire walked towards the empty chair when the stylist motioned for her to sit and get done up.

"Did you see Kevin outside?" Millicent asked.

Victoire chuckled, "Kevin isn't suppose to be here yet Millie. It's only 12:00. The wedding won't start until six o'clock."

Millicent immediately turned around, "Oh right, I forgot."

"Everything is going to be fine," Victoire assured as she squeezed her friend's hand.

_**7 Hours Earlier**_

"You look gorgeous Millie," Victoire said as her friend came out of the dressing room. They were finally done with hair and make up and set off to put on their dresses. Victoire slipped on her lavender dress easily and waited for her friend to come out of the room.

"Can you believe it, I'm actually getting married?" Millicent asked with a subtle hint of tears in her eyes. She began fanning her eyes as if to stop the tears from ruining her make up.

Victoire rushed to help her friend. "I'm okay, I'm okay," Millicent said, although it seemed like she was trying to convince herself rather then telling Victoire.

"I'm going out to see how the guests are coming along," Victoire said as she led Millicent to the chair to calm down.

Millicent nodded, "Could you bring my mum in?" Millicent's mother had flown in from France to see her eldest daughter get married.

As Victoire exited the room, she looked around for Millicent's mother until she came across a blonde woman who looked like the same woman in a picture she had once seen. Victoire had remembered seeing a picture of Millicent's family when they were at Beauxbatons. Millicent was the only brunette in her family and had inherited what she could only imagine, her father's brown hair. Millicent's father had abandoned her mother and her sisters when she was very young but from what she could tell, Millicent had inherited most of her looks from her father.

"Mrs. Moreau?" Victoire asked as she approached the blonde woman who was currently talking to a brunet man.

The woman immediately looked up and smiled, "You must be Victoire."

Victoire nodded, "Millie wants to see you." Millicent's mother gave a curt nod before she left for the door.

"Do I know you?" Victoire asked the brunet man once Mrs. Moreau had left. She couldn't put her finger on it but the man looked oddly familiar.

The man smiled before introducing himself, "I'm Vincent Moreau."

_**6 Hours Earlier**_

"I'm not going out there until he leaves!" Millicent yelled from across the room. Victoire stayed stagnant as the scene unraveled. Her friend was currently arguing with her mother who had unexpectedly brought Millicent's father to her wedding.

"Millie honey, I know it's hard for you to see him here but give him a chance," her mother says.

Millicent looked furious, "Mum! How could you let him come back into our lives? The man left us for Merlin's sake!"

Her mother looked down, "I know there's no excuse for what he did, but…"

"No!" Millicent cut her off. "Tell him to leave or I'm going to and I won't be as nice."

Millicent's mother didn't move. "You're suppose to be _my_ mum. This is _my _wedding. And I don't want _him_ here," Millicent said in a disgusted tone.

Her mother sighed, "You're right honey. I'm sorry for trying to push this onto you." The mother and daughter hugged once more before Mrs. Moreau left the room.

Millicent sank onto the floor, "Do you think I'm being too harsh?"

Victoire who had been staring off finally realized Millicent was addressing her since she was the only one in the room now. "It's your wedding Millie, you should get what you want," Victoire said as she sat next to Millicent on the floor.

Millicent sighed, "You think I'm being too harsh."

"I didn't say that Millie. But…"Victoire started.

"But?" Millicent asked.

Victoire became uneasy, she didn't want to involve herself in Millicent's family affairs but her friend really may regret it later on. "You should at least meet him Millie."

"I've seen him before," Millicent said immediately.

"That's was when you were only a toddler," Victoire corrected.

_**5 Hour Earlier**_

"Hey there stranger," Victoire heard from behind. She immediately smiled when she saw who it was.

"You're here," Victoire said.

"I'm here," Teddy said. Victoire grinned.

"So what can I do?" Teddy asked.

"Well, you can keep my mind off of the disaster that we just averted," Victoire said.

Teddy scrunched his face, "Did something happen?"

Victoire shook her head, "It's a long story but basically, Millie's father, the one who left her and her Mum when she was young is here. Her Mum brought him here without telling Millie and they had a big fight." She looked over to the other side and saw Millicent sitting with her parents, although awkwardly, but talking nonetheless.

"But I think it's going to be fine," Victoire finished.

Victoire suddenly found herself smiling, after the hectic morning she's been through, she hadn't fully taken in how good Teddy looked. "What are you smiling about?" Teddy asked with a smile of his own.

"You look very handsome is all," she said as she straightened out his collar and patted it flat.

Teddy smirked, "So I don't normally look handsome enough to warrant a compliment?"

Victoire looked at him with shock, as if he was seriously going to ask that, but two could play at that game. "Well, what about you?" she asked.

"Me? I always tell you that you look great," Teddy said.

Victoire started to blush, but pushed forward, "Not today," she whispered.

Teddy chuckled, "Well," he started and placed his hands on her cheeks, "You look beautiful." For a moment, she thought he had meant it in a deeper way but quickly snapped out of it when he started to chuckle again.

"How was that?" Teddy said with a sloppy grin. Victoire rolled her eyes and swatted him on the arm before she turned and walked away. She could hear him calling after her but she just kept walking and smiling to herself.

* * *

It wasn't until she made it back to the bride's room that everything was back to being hectic again. "Vic! I don't have my vows, I…I left it somewhere but it's not here!"

Victoire scrunched her face, "You didn't memorize it yet?"

"I did but I forgot. Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit," Millicent continued to swear. If Victoire didn't think her friend couldn't swear any more than she already does, she was wrong.

Victoire knew her friend was just nervous and when the time came, she wouldn't need her notes but she wasn't about to not help and if it took finding her notes to calm Millicent down, then so be it. "Okay, calm down Millie. Think, where did you leave your notes?" Victoire asked in a calm tone.

After a minute of frantic thinking, Millicent seemed to finally realize where she had left the notes. "It's at your flat!"

Victoire wrinkled her face in confusion until she too remembered why Millicent's vows were at her flat. She had helped Millicent write the vows a few days ago when they had their girl's night. "Okay, I'm going to my flat and getting the vows. I will be back before the wedding starts. You calm down, can you handle that Millie?" Victoire asked.

Millicent nodded and Victoire immediately took off. When she left the room, she was surprised that Teddy was waiting for her outside. "You're leaving?" he asked as he followed her through the grass.

"I have to drop by my flat for just a second," Victoire said before grabbing his arm and apparating away.

_**Teddy's POV**_

This was the second time someone had abruptly grabbed him and apparated away, he was really getting sick of being thrown around without much warning. He was currently catching his breath as Victoire walked through the revolving doors and into the lobby of her apartment building. He soon followed after her when he noticed she was still waiting for him.

Teddy waited until the elevator door closed, "You look beautiful."

He watched as she smiled, "You said that already."

"I just wanted to say it for real," Teddy said. He had no idea what had given him the courage to say such a thing.

"Thanks," she whispered. For the next two floors, Teddy stared at Victoire from the side, unable to keep his eyes off of her. She was simply radiating in that dress.

Victoire seemed to have noticed his staring, "What?" she asked with a laugh. But Teddy ignored her, he continued to stare at her before he found himself walking closer and closer to her.

"I…" Teddy started but was suddenly interrupted when the elevator stopped. He looked at the floor display but furrowed his brow when he noticed it wasn't their floor and that someone had entered the elevator. Teddy immediately split apart from Victoire as the man who came in smiled at them and stood between the two of them. It remained silent even when the man had gotten off on the previous floor.

When the elevator finally reached Victoire's floor, Teddy let her exit first. "Could you stay here and hold the elevator, I'll just be a second," she said. For some reason, she looked a bit annoyed when she told him to wait. Teddy nodded obediently before he watched as she disappeared through her front door.

Teddy shook his head, he had chickened out once again. He could blame it on the man but he knew if he had the courage to, he would have kissed her already, regardless of who the hell decided to get on the elevator.

When Victoire finally walked out of the apartment, he saw that she had a piece of paper that she slipped into her purse before locking up. She was noticeably in a better mood then when she had entered her flat. Teddy noticed a forced smile on her face as she passed him and stepped onto the elevator he had been holding for them. He racked his brain for anything he could have done to make her be in a foul mood but nothing came up, he was going to have to ask her himself.

When the elevator closed once again, Teddy made his move. "What's wrong Vic?"

"Nothing's wrong," she said a little too quickly.

"Everything with the wedding is fine, right?" Teddy asked.

"Just dandy," Victoire responded.

_**4 Hours Earlier**_

As soon as they reached the wedding destination, Victoire rushed off to the bride's room without another word to Teddy. She looked awfully annoyed at something but Teddy didn't know what. Maybe it was the stress of the wedding getting to her. Teddy hung his head, it seemed like every time they met, Victoire always ended up in a foul mood and never talked about it. It was beginning to become a frustrating cycle of fighting, apologizing and making up.

Caleb soon arrived with the news crew since Millicent had invited them. Teddy couldn't imagine why she would want the media to get involved in something as intimate as her own wedding but to each their own. When everything was settled, Teddy sat with Caleb in the back.

"So, seen Victoire yet?" Caleb asked casually.

Teddy nodded but didn't add anything else. Caleb chuckled, "What is it this time?"

"Nothing," Teddy said a little too quickly.

"Mmhmm," Caleb mumbled but thankfully let the subject drop because soon, everyone was settled and the wedding was about to begin.

_**3 Hours Earlier**_

"You may kiss the bride," the wizard presiding over the wedding announced. Teddy watched as Kevin kissed Millicent while everyone cheered. But he didn't linger long; his eyes immediately went to Victoire. He watched as she looked on, tears filling her eyes as she watched her friend get married. Teddy couldn't help but think how beautiful she looked today. Soon after, the caterers flicked their wands and the garden instantly turned into a reception area.

The masses soon started taking their respective seats and gathering around the buffet tables to grab the food before it all disappeared. Teddy on the other hand headed for the bar; he didn't particularly feel hungry. "Not hungry?" Caleb asked as he joined Teddy at the bar.

"Not really," Teddy said as Caleb signaled the bartender for a drink.

Caleb took a swig of his scotch, "I thought you guys were good."

"What?" Teddy asked.

Caleb gave Teddy with a knowing look, "It's like pulling teeth with you two. Just kiss her and get it over with."

Teddy immediately felt his cheeks warm up, "Shut up." Caleb chuckled but Teddy couldn't help but look around the room before stopping to stare at the blonde standing across the room who was currently chatting with Millicent and her parents. He continued watching them; soon Millicent's parents left and it was only Millicent and Victoire. Millicent seemed to be telling Victoire something but Teddy couldn't make out any of it. However, after a few minutes, Victoire suddenly looked up and caught him staring at her. Teddy immediately turned around, quite embarrassed that he was caught staring at her.

_**Victoire's POV**_

"Why aren't you talking to Ted?" Millicent asked.

Victoire scrunched her face, was she really that obvious? "Because…" she responded.

Millicent raised her eyebrow, waiting for Victoire to fill her in.

Victoire sighed, she couldn't hide it any longer from Millicent, "I fancy him."

To her surprise, her friend didn't look surprised at all; instead, Millicent smirked. "Took you long enough to say it," she said.

Victoire looked at her incredulously, "You knew?"

Millicent nodded, "And to be honest, I'm a little offended that you didn't tell me until now."

Victoire shied away, "I just didn't know how to say it."

"Don't know why it was so hard for you to say," Millicent shrugged. "Anyways, I don't see why you're not over there snogging his face off. He's a fit bloke, if I didn't just get married, I'd jump him right now," she joked.

Victoire rolled her eyes. The truth was, Victoire really had no excuse to be mad with him. In the elevator, it seemed like he was finally going to say something but he didn't. She was annoyed but now that she thought about it, there was nothing to be annoyed about; for all she knew, he could have wanted to say something so trivial that the interruption made him lose his thought.

"Anyways, I thought for sure after that whole camp fiasco that you two would have gotten together already," Millicent said nonchalantly.

"Wait what?" Victoire asked, suddenly forgetting about her thought.

Millicent sighed, "Louis and I planned for you two to be alone. I didn't really twist my ankle, it was just an excuse for us to leave."

Victoire was now staring at her friend with widened eyes; her brother and friend had planned it all along for her to be alone with Teddy that week. "You are so lucky this is your wedding," Victoire mumbled.

"Admit it, you loved it," Millicent said with a smug smile. Victoire soon found herself smiling as well, the plan was quite well thought out.

"And from the looks of it, I'd say Ted can't keep his eyes off of you," Millicent said while nodding towards the bar. Victoire immediately snapped her head and sure enough, Teddy was sitting at the bar staring back at her. However, as soon as she saw him looking, he turned around.

_**2 Hour Earlier**_

"May I have this dance?" Teddy asked. Victoire had been dancing with the best man as per tradition but as soon as the dance floor was open to everyone, Teddy had cut in. Victoire nodded and thanked the best man for the dance before taking Teddy's hand.

Her hands found their way around his neck while he laid his hands around her waist. "I know you would rather not be here but I'm glad you came with me," Victoire said.

Teddy smiled, "Anything for you." Victoire felt her heart skip a beat at the way he looked at her while he said it.

"Could he be anymore charming," she thought. Victoire was feeling really bad about earlier, she knew she should apologize for her behavior.

"About earlier, I'm…" Victoire started but Teddy cut her off.

Teddy shook his head, "I think we've been apologizing entirely too much, let's just enjoy the rest of the night." Victoire nodded and proceeded to lay her head against his chest.

_**1 Hour Earlier**_

After an hour of dancing and having fun, the wedding was coming to an end. Guests started filing out and Millicent and Kevin stood at the front, thanking everyone for coming to the wedding. Victoire eventually managed to get through the crowds to congratulate her friend once more before she left; Teddy had offered to take her home. Millicent gave her a knowing look before nodding at Teddy.

* * *

"Do you want to come up?" Victoire offered as they stood in front of her apartment building.

"Sure," Teddy said.

They waited silently before the elevator reached the lobby and Teddy held the door for Victoire to enter first. Once again, they were alone in the elevator. Everything Millicent told her tonight was running through her head and soon all the conscious thoughts flew out the door.

_**Teddy's POV**_

Victoire shook her head, "Damn it." Teddy was about to ask but he didn't get a chance. The next moment, he felt Victoire's body pressed against his while her lips were pressed onto his. He was dreaming, he must be dreaming because there was no way Victoire would ever kiss him.

"Please tell me I'm not crazy for doing this," she whispered after splitting apart from his lips. Teddy snapped out of his thoughts when he heard her voice. He slowly opened his eyes to see that two icy blue orbs staring back at him. It hadn't dawned on him that it was actually happening, he was just frozen at his spot.

Victoire slowly released herself from him and started pacing the elevator, "Shit, I knew that was stupid." He watched as she started to ramble on in French, which was oddly sexy. Teddy shook his head, finally coming to the realization of what had just transpired. He knew he should say something but he just couldn't bring himself to stop her from rambling. "Damn, why does she have to look so cute when she's nervous," he thought to himself.

"You're not crazy," Teddy said. Victoire continued to ramble on until it seemed like she had finally heard him. She turned around to face him to see if she heard correctly but there was no need, Teddy immediately crashed his lips onto hers the moment she turned around.

**A/N: One word, FINALLY! Also, I really hate begging for reviews but alas, I have resorted to doing so. Every writer loves reviews, whether it been good or bad, for encouragement and constructive criticism. So please, I would really appreciate if some of you wrote something. For all my regular reviewers, a big thank you to you guys; I wouldn't have made it this far without your continuous support and encouragement.  
**


	26. It's Over

**A/N1: Yay for image uploader! I think I spent about an hour trying to make a presentable image and then I find out that once you upload onto here, you can barely see it let alone a few mistake so *facepalm* for wasting my time. But whatever, I needed to practice my graphic skills anyways.  
**

**A/N2: This might have been one of the shortest chapters since the first one but I swear, this took the longest to write. It was like pulling teeth, honest to Merlin, I had a severe case of writer's block (the cause of my week-long hiatus). I had originally written it differently and after reading it, hated it so I scraped half of it and left it for around two weeks before I finally thought of a better ending to the chapter.  
**

**********************************************Disclaimer: JK Rowling owns Harry Potter.**

**Chapter 26**

**_Luke's POV_  
**

"Luke?" Olivia asked in an exasperated tone.

"I'm sorry, I don't know why I'm here…I should go," Luke stuttered.

Olivia pulled him in for a hug as soon as he tried to leave, "I missed you."

After a long embrace, Olivia led Luke into the sitting room. "So…" Luke started.

"Clark's not here," Olivia answered immediately. He nodded, thankful that Olivia bought it up instead of him. It's not like he disliked Clark, he barely knew the bloke but he was positive it would get awkward if the husband and ex-boyfriend were under one roof; not to mention, said ex-boyfriend is also the father of Olivia's child.

Luke was about to say something but Olivia continued, "We've been having fights lately. He went out to cool down."

"Oh," was all Luke could manage. He felt somewhat guilty even though he had not done anything, well aside from sleeping with Olivia when she was engaged and getting her pregnant. Although he couldn't help but think the fights somehow involved him.

Olivia gave him an assuring smile and reached to touch his hand, "Don't worry about it." But just as she said this, someone had walked in; it was Clark.

When Olivia saw Clark, she immediately retracted her hand from Luke's hand. This had confirmed it, Olivia and her husband were definitely fighting about issues regarding her past, namely about him. Luke felt the need to clear the air and save Olivia some grief, "Look mate, I didn't know. But if it's any consolation, I'll do whatever you want."

At that moment, Clark and Olivia stared at him with confusion. "This is about Andy right?" Luke asked.

Clark continued to stare at him with confusion but as Luke turned to Olivia, he knew she understood. Olivia sat on the couch with her hand over her mouth. "What is this about Liv?" Clark asked. Luke could hear the man's patience growing thin.

The sudden realization came to Luke that Clark still had no idea about Andy. "Shit!" Luke mumbled before grabbing his coat to leave.

But he didn't make it far, "So you're Ted." Clark growled. It was now Luke's turn to grow bewildered.

However, before he could voice his confusion, Olivia had stood up, "Clark, I told you there was nothing going on between me and Ted!"

Luke stood with his mouth agape as he watched on. After the initial shock, he suddenly grew angry, did something happen between Olivia and Ted when she came to visit him in New York. Despite his better judgment, Luke spoke again. "You slept with Ted?" he asked in disbelief.

"For Merlin's sake, there's nothing going on with me and Ted, he's only a friend!" Olivia shouted before giving Luke a look that said he should know better.

"So who the hell is this bloke?" Clark asked as he pointed to Luke.

"He's…" Olivia started, seemingly losing her courage from her previous declaration.

Luke stepped forward, "Luke Taylor."

"Fuck's sake Liv, first this Ted bloke and now this git? Am I not enough for you?" Clark yelled.

Olivia shook her head, "How many times do I have to tell you that Ted is only a friend."

Luke watched as Clark breathed in heavily. "But you're not denying anything with him," he said as he pointed to Luke. This time, Olivia said nothing.

Clark chuckled, "That's what I thought."

"There is nothing going on between me and Liv," Luke said in a matter of fact tone; this was partially true, they hadn't even seen each other in years.

"I want her to say it," Clark said. Luke could see the desperation in the man's eyes. Even though he had been yelling at Olivia for the past ten minutes, Luke could see that he was just scared; scared that he was going to lose his wife. All Luke could do was stand there and hope that Olivia would stop being stupid and just say what he wanted to hear. However, when she didn't say anything, Luke felt a mixture of feelings. A part of him wanted to yell at her, asking her what the hell was she doing but the other part felt gleeful; by her own silence, she had admitted that she still felt something for him.

However, in a split second, the scene had changed. The next moment, Clark turned and faced Luke and without any hesitance, pulled out his wand and shot a curse towards him. But it never did hit him; when Luke opened his eyes again, he saw Clark lying on the floor, motionless. He turned to his left and realized that Olivia had stunned Clark before he could curse him. It seemed like it took a few seconds for Olivia to realize what she had just done. She immediately rushed to Clark and undid the spell. However, Clark was more then furious, he suddenly stood up and backed away from Olivia, clutching his neck from the abrupt fall. "We're over! I'm taking Andrew with me," Clark said in a matter of fact tone.

At that moment, Luke noticed Olivia staring at Clark with a stoic expression. "You can't take him."

"The hell I can, I'm his father," Clark muttered.

"No you're not," Olivia responded.

Clark squinted at Olivia, "Excuse me?"

"Andy's not yours Clark," Olivia said.

Clark chuckled but there was an uneasy tone that showed he was about to blow any minute, "Right, of course he's not mine either. I don't know why I even thought there was one honest thing about this marriage." Without another word, he disapparated, leaving the room to fall quiet again.

"I should go," Luke muttered and she didn't protest.

_**Olivia's POV**_

Olivia sat on the floor, too tired to get up after the confrontation that just occurred. Once she heard the door open and close, she took a deep breath. This was all becoming too real for her, the fact that her marriage was now over, the fact that Luke somehow found out Andy was his baby, and the possibility of reconciling their relationship. But before anything else, Andy started crying from upstairs. Olivia took an exasperated breath and stood; there was one thing that never stopped, her being a mother.

* * *

The next day, Olivia woke up in her all too familiar bed. However, there was one thing that was missing, Clark. As she surveyed the room, she noticed the things around the room; or rather, lack of. Olivia was surprised but it would seem as if Clark had already moved his things, if one didn't know any better, it looked like Olivia had been living by herself all this time. When Olivia finally came across the clock on the wall, she suddenly jolted up. It was almost noon; she had overslept. However, the unsettling part was that she hadn't heard Andy crying, a usual sign for her to wake up.

Olivia rushed into Andy's room but he was not there. Her greatest fears were running through her head; did she lock everything, did someone kidnap her child? And then a thought struck her, could it be that Clark took him. Granted, she had finally revealed the paternity of her son, but that didn't mean Clark wasn't as much of a father as Luke was. In fact, for the first years of Andy's life, Clark was his father. The threat of yesterday's fight seemed so much more real, but surely, Clark wasn't so irrational that he would do such a thing. However, when it came to Andy, Olivia took nothing for granted.

She hurriedly rushed down the stairs to make a floo call to notify the Aurors that her son had been taken. But to her surprise, she was greeted with a friendly face. On her couch, sat Luke who was currently playing with Andy on his lap. When Andy saw Olivia run down the stairs, he smiled, "Mama!"

Olivia felt her heartbeat return to normal, nothing had happened to Andy. She watched as Luke smiled at Andy before turning to watch her. It was clear as day that Andy was Luke's child; their smiles were uncannily similar. "I hope you don't mind, I just wanted to see him and you looked so peaceful sleeping, I didn't want to wake you," Luke said as he interrupted her thoughts.

"It's fine," Olivia ruffled as she made her way down the stairs and approached the two. Andy stuck his hand out and grabbed her fingers, clearly happy to see a familiar face. Luke handed Andy to her and Andy immediately latched onto his mother.

"We need to talk," Olivia said while hopping around to satisfy Andy.

Luke looked down, "That's actually why I came."

* * *

After Andy was settled down with his bottle in his playpen, Olivia sat down at the kitchen table with Luke. Even though she had been the one to bring it up, Olivia waited for Luke to start talking since he had already insinuated his reasons for visiting her. She watched as he fidgeted with the mug before he finally took a sip of coffee.

"I'm really sorry about being a ghost for the past few years," he started.

Olivia shook her head in protest, "It's not your fault Luke, I was the one who pushed you away." She started to touch his hand but he immediately withdrew; she was surprised but not unexpected, nonetheless, it hurt.

"No let me finish Liv," he continued. Olivia nodded, a smile tugging on her lips at the way he said her name.

"I am sorry for not being there for you or for Andy when you needed me. I mean, I know I didn't know I was his father but I knew since the time you visited Ted; I overheard you two talking at the restaurant but I was too scared to face it. It was all too sudden," he said.

"I left you messages," Olivia said, expressionless. She couldn't believe how long he had known about it all and still he ignored her.

Luke sighed, "I know."

"How could you just break contact with me! After everything that we've been through?" Olivia started shouting. She could no longer hold back the hurt that she had unconsciously been harboring.

Luke stared at her with daggers. "You're blaming me for everything? You're the one who cut me out of your life; you told me you never wanted to see me again," throwing all caution to the wind and contradicting everything he was trying to apologize for.

"You cheated on me! We could have been together right now if it weren't for you!" Olivia shouted, she was revealing some old wounds but she didn't care.

Luke immediately stood down; he looked at her sadly as if agreeing with her statement. "I…" he started.

"Save it. It doesn't matter, it wouldn't have worked anyways, look at us, fighting already and in front of our own kid," Olivia said as she looked away.

Luke threw his head down and headed for the door. "You know, I never stopped loving you Liv," he whispered before she heard the door slam. Olivia fell onto her chair and started weeping.


	27. Happiness Comes at a Price

**************************************************Disclaimer: JK Rowling owns Harry Potter.**

**Chapter 27**

"Hey Aaron, could I have the usual and a coffee for my friend?" Victoire asked.

Aaron looked at her with a sly smile. "A friend or a _friend_?" he asked, wiggling his eyebrows for the latter.

Victoire rolled her eyes but gave a shy giggle before bobbing her head at Teddy's direction. She had insisted that Teddy find a table for them while she made the order, for this particular reason. She knew Aaron's morning antics would be embarrassing if Teddy were to witness their banter. "Here's your usual and a coffee for the boyfriend," Aaron casually said when he returned with her order.

She immediately shushed her friend before paying, giving him one last wicked look for trying to provoke her before she headed to the corner table where Teddy had saved a seat for her. When she turned around, she couldn't help but smile at the fact that someone had called Teddy her boyfriend. Victoire hadn't taken notice even when she reached their table. "What are you smiling about?" Teddy asked as he took the coffee off of her hands.

"Oh nothing," Victoire exclaimed.

Teddy through her a knowing look that said he knew she was thinking about something and that she should just spill it.

Victorie sighed, although she was happy about last night, she still hadn't discussed with Teddy what they were suppose to be now. She hoped that he hadn't changed his mind about her since yesterday. "Um, Teddy?" Victoire asked.

Teddy looked up from the newspaper he was reading, "Yeah?" he responded with his goofy smile that always made her swoon.

She looked around the bakery, trying to stall her question, maybe Teddy didn't want to be with her and he was just living in the moment. Victoire immediately shook the thought out of her mind. Even though they weren't the best friends they use to be before she moved away, she knew Teddy was not that kind of guy. In fact, he was quite shy; she was the outgoing one, oh how things have changed.

"Are we…you know," Victoire said while pointing between the two of them.

Teddy furrowed his brow, "Are we what?"

Victoire sighed, "Are we a thing?"

To her relief, he immediately smiled. "I hope so," he said as he put down the paper and held her hand in his. Victoire felt her heart melt as his honey brown eyes bore into her icy blue ones.

After a whole minute of just staring at each other, Victoire blushed, "We should probably get going." She looked around the room to see if anyone else had taken notice to their intimate moment but everyone else had been moving in and out of the bakery like every other morning.

Teddy chuckled, "Yeah, I have to get to work." He stood up first and bent down to kiss her on the lips before bidding her goodbye. Victoire felt her stomach performing somersaults, it was official, Teddy was now her boyfriend. For the rest of the day, Victoire couldn't wipe the smile off of her face. Even though it was more hectic then usual, since Millicent was now on her honeymoon, Victoire took everything in stride.

* * *

"Teddy!" Victoire exclaimed as she left her office.

Teddy stood in front of her with a bouquet of flowers in one hand, the other in his pocket. He looked at her hesitantly as he rolled on the balls of his heels like a little boy who was unsure of himself. "I thought I'd come pick you up and maybe we can go to dinner?"

Victoire giggled before accepting the flowers, "Teddy, you don't have to be scared to ask, I mean, we are dating now."

She watched as he breathed a sigh of relief, "Right." Teddy smiled before holding up his arm for her to take which Victoire gladly took and the two left the building to go on their first official date.

_**Teddy POV**_

Teddy smiled as Victoire giggled. "What's so funny?" Teddy asked with a chuckle, it was hard not to smile when he heard her golden laugh. Without saying another word, she reached over the table and brushed her thumb over his chin. Teddy closed his eyes to her touch, and even though it was an innocent touch, he couldn't help but shiver when he was in contact with her. Although they were now officially dating, Teddy still couldn't fathom how lucky he was. She was the girl he wanted to be with, and she was finally his.

"There," Victoire said as she sat back onto her chair, "Much cleaner."

Teddy smirked, "I didn't know you were so motherly."

Victoire pretended to take offense, but came right back with a retort. "When you think of me, do you think of Aunt Ginny?" she said with a seductive undertone all the while challenging him.

Teddy scrunched his nose and groaned, "Please don't say that again." Victoire stuck her tongue out and accepted her victory.

* * *

They decided to go back to Teddy's flat after dinner since they had been to Victoire's apartment for their last few encounters. "You know, the last time I was here, I had some pretty bad memories. I remember we had our big fight last time," Victoire said.

Teddy grabbed her by the waist and surprised her with a deep kiss. "We should make new ones then, shouldn't we?" he whispered as he led her to the couch, all the while not breaking contact from her skin.

Victoire moaned as Teddy pressed his lips onto the crook of her neck. He left soft gentle kisses before reaching the top of her bosoms. Victoire immediately pulled his face back up to hers and kissed him with such intensity that made his extremities tingle. Teddy held her head firmly so that their kiss could deepen, diminishing the little space between them. Soon, she had pushed him onto his back and was straddling him on the couch.

"Well this is officially the best first date I've ever had," Teddy said while trying to catch his breathe.

Victoire laughed into his chest, "I guess I don't need to go any further."

Teddy wrinkled his nose, "I never said that, you could keep going if you want, actually, I insist."

Victoire laughed again and got off of him before he watched her disappear into his room. "I'm going to freshen up," he heard her say.

Teddy slowly stood up from the couch and wondered over into his bedroom. He saw the bathroom door was still closed and heard the water running. Teddy changed into his pajama shorts and hopped into bed. He rested his head on his arms and stared at the ceiling with a smile. It was only this morning that they had decided to start dating but already, they were ahead of usual couples. It was easy when your girlfriend was also your best friend.

_**Victoire's POV**_

Victoire looked at Teddy as she left the bathroom. He was lying in the bed, currently shirtless. She felt herself blush, even in the moonlight; Victoire could clearly see the lean muscles on his body. When he finally noticed that she was staring at him, he smirked before beckoning her to come to bed. She only managed to place one knee onto the soft mattress before he grabbed hold of her wrist and pulled her onto him. Victoire placed her hands onto his chest, feeling the slight thump of his heart beneath the muscles, before she leaned down and kissed him.

Teddy held her closer again and soon, they were back to the same position they were at on the couch. Victoire grabbed hold of his hair, pulling him closer as well. Soon, she felt his hands travel down to her thighs which were currently straddling his sides. His touch sent sparks into her body, the intensity unrivaled. The tank top she was currently wearing started to rise and before she knew it, it was thrown somewhere into the depths of the room.

For a while, they were contempt with a few articles of clothing separating them but soon, Victoire felt a small tug on her bra clasp. She immediately stopped their kissed and pulled back. "I'm sorry," Teddy instantly said.

"It's fine, I just don't want to move too fast, you know," Victoire said. She almost thought she was crazy for refusing him but she couldn't help but think it was too early. The only thing they've done so far was snog, in the elevator, on the coach and now on his bed. How would it seem if she let him get that far on their first date, granted, they had known each other for years, but this was the first time they were together.

"I understand," Teddy responded before giving her a reassuring smile. Victoire fell onto her back before Teddy wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her closer until she rested her head on his chest. He then intertwined his free hand with hers. They were silent for a minute, enjoying the quiet moment between themselves. It was finally broken when Victoire look up at Teddy.

"Tell me a secret," Victoire said suddenly. She watched as he turned his head to face hers, his eyes showing how surprised he was of her abrupt request.

"I can morph my hair," Teddy said with a laugh.

Victoire scrunched her face at the fact that he wasn't taking it seriously. "I already know that you prat," she said as she slapped his chest.

She felt his chest rise as he laughed heartily, "Well, most people don't, so I'd consider it a secret."

Victoire gave him a semi serious glare and a pout and he laughed again. "Okay, what do you want to know?" he asked.

Suddenly, a thought came into her head, "What are you feeling when you hair turns pink?" She had almost forgotten that camp incident where Teddy's hair turned pink.

Teddy stopped laughing and started looking away, but Victoire had caught the blush that he tried to hide. "It's when I fancy someone," he said quickly.

Victoire felt the sides of her mouth tug upwards; this meant that Teddy had fancied her at least since the camping trip. "Is that when you started fancying me, when we went camping?" Victoire asked, she knew she was pushing her luck but she couldn't help but ask. He didn't answer right away but soon after, she saw him nod slightly. For some reason, that had satisfied her enough for the night, "Goodnight Teddy," and she soon drifted off to sleep in Teddy's arms.

* * *

"So how was Italy?" Victoire asked Millicent. Her friend had finally returned to work after taking two weeks off for her honeymoon.

"Food was great, sex was amazing," Millicent quickly said, "Now tell me about you and Ted."

Victoire wrinkled her nose at the first part, sometimes she forgot how blunt her friend was; compared to Millicent, her own bluntness seemed modest. "Is that all you're going to say?" Victoire asked.

"Come one Vic, it was a honeymoon. What else do you expect? Now tell me, you guys finally hooked up," Millicent exclaimed.

Victoire rolled her eyes, sometimes she wondered if Millicent never stopped living vicariously through her relationships even after she had broken up with Leon and her friend was now married herself. "Yeah, we're dating now," Victoire finally conceded.

Millicent squealed before scooting closer to Victoire as if she wouldn't be able to hear the details unless they were right next to each other. "And?" Millicent asked.

"And…you're not getting anymore out of me," Victoire responded in a singsong voice.

Millicent frowned, "Come on Vic, don't deprive a girl out of her fun and you know you want to tell me."

Victoire laughed before she got up to leave, "Bye Millie, I'm going back to my office now."

"At least tell me if he's a good kisser," Millicent said.

Victoire stopped at the door and paused, "He is."

Millicent gave a smug smile, "Is he good in bed?"

"Goodbye Millie, I'm getting back to work," Victoire answered before shutting the door, ignoring her friend's protests.

_**Millicent's POV**_

Millicent sighed as she watched Victoire leave her office. She hadn't wanted Victoire to realize anything so she tried to focus their conversation on her friend instead of herself. The truth was, the food was great and the sex was amazing but that had only lasted for a week. The second week of her honeymoon had been cut short when her mother owled her a note.

At first, she had ignored it; simply disregarding it as a normal letter, probably asking how the honeymoon was going. Millicent had ignored it for three days because she had been too busy enjoying her honeymoon. However, one afternoon while Kevin went to the market to purchase some fresh produce because they had agreed to stay in and cook that night, she had wondered around the room with nothing to do. After an hour of just sitting on the veranda, she finally noticed the unopened letter and decided to take a read.

After reading the letter, Millicent stood in shock, dropping the letter immediately as she clasped her mouth. At that moment, Kevin had returned and was chattering but all she could hear was a blur. Time felt like it had slowed down and before she knew it, she had fallen to the ground, clutching her legs against her body, reading the letter once more to see if it was true.

When Kevin finally noticed her on the ground, he immediately ran to see what was wrong. But all Millicent could manage was to hand the letter over for him to read. "I'm sorry Millie," Kevin whispered as he held her against his body. Suddenly, Millicent felt herself crying uncontrollably; she sat against Kevin for the next ten minutes while he brushed her hair.

"You should go to France," Kevin suggested afterwards.

Millicent suddenly snapped from her thoughts when she heard a knock on the door. It was the secretary coming in to give her a note. Millicent gave the girl a sweet smile before thanking her. When the door closed again, Millicent was once again left to her own devices.

She wondered over to her desk and pulled out a box. She gently opened it and pulled out the contents, they were mostly photos of when she was a baby. Millicent looked over the pictures and one by one and saw the familiar face of her mother holding her but once in a while, she would come across a rare few that featured a man that shared her hair and face, standing along side them. The man that she never got to know, and now, would never get the chance to know.

**A/N: Despite what was insinuated by the end of chapter 25, Victoire and Teddy did not have sex, so just to clear the air on that one. Second, I decided to add something in about Millicent and especially since I left it open on her wedding with her dad, I thought I should address it some how. More to come for her story and of course, T/V.**


	28. A Date at the Beach

******************************************************A/N: Wow record views/visitors from the last update. Thank you so much for the reviews, it's really helping to make this a more visible fic for everyone so please continue reviewing. And as a treat, I decided to update early. Hope you enjoy, its a fluffy chapter.  
**

******************************************************Disclaimer: JK Rowling owns Harry Potter.**

**Chapter 28 **

"Hey Ted, want to go to the beach on Monday?" Caleb asked from behind his desk.

Teddy scrunched his face, "We have work on Monday."

Caleb rolled his eyes, "Don't be thick, Monday is Memorial Day. We have the day off."

Teddy immediately lit up; he had forgotten about the American holiday but was elated about having the extra day off. The prospect of going to the beach was intriguing but due to the heavy workloads as of late, he hadn't been able to spend much time with Victoire. If they were going to have a day off, it should no doubt be reserved for them to be alone. "I don't know, I'm probably going to spend some time with Vic. Mal's got me working double shifts and I haven't seen her in four days," Teddy replied.

"You have to come! I need a wingman," Caleb whined. Teddy groaned in response, despite going steady with a girl for three months, his friend was once again a single man.

"And I'm sure Vic wouldn't mind coming with us to the beach," Caleb added.

Teddy looked at his friend hesitantly; Caleb was staring at him with puppy dog eyes. Would it really be awful to suggest to Victoire that they go to the beach to keep Caleb company for the purpose of chasing random girls instead of spending quality time together? After a few minutes, Teddy came to the conclusion that he would spend half his time helping Caleb while the other half with Victoire. Teddy doubt that Victoire would give much protest to going to the beach. Besides, she lived near the ocean for half of life and would definitely appreciate it. "Fine," Teddy puffed.

_**Victoire's POV**_

For the past few days, Victoire had noticed some subtle changes in her friend's behavior. While her own life had been going quite smoothly for once, she and Teddy were doing great aside from the fact that they hadn't seen each other for the past four days because of his job; she noticed how closed off Millicent had been lately. Victoire hadn't noticed anything right away because she seemed fine when she came back from her honeymoon but as days passed, Victoire noticed a change in Millicent.

She tried to ask her friend if there was anything wrong but Millicent only smiled and said everything was fine. But as the days progressed, Victoire noticed the sudden weight loss, the brooding looks and the standoffish attitude presented by her friend. Victoire decided that she would confront Millicent once again.

"Millie, is there anything you want to talk about?" Victoire asked warily.

Millicent smiled, "No, everything is fine."

Victoire sighed; this was the typical response Victoire had been receiving. She decided that today, she wouldn't let Millicent off the hook so quickly. "How's Kevin?"

"He's fine," Millicent answered simply.

"So there's nothing else you want to talk about?" Victoire pushed on.

"Yes, could I get back to work?" Millicent asked with a polite smile.

Victoire sighed, she wasn't getting anything out of Millicent until her friend wanted to talk. "Okay sure, but if you want to talk about anything, let me know," Victoire offered. Millicent nodded but said nothing else.

* * *

"So she won't tell you what's wrong?" Teddy asked.

Victoire nodded worriedly, "I think something's happened but she won't tell me anything. She's losing weight and secluding herself from everyone."

Teddy took another bite of his food, "Maybe you should ask Kevin."

Victoire immediately looked up, why hadn't she thought of that? Kevin would surely know more about what was happening with Millicent then she did. Maybe something happened during the honeymoon. "That's brilliant!" she exclaimed before jumping up to place a call.

She watched as Teddy's mouth formed a smirk, "Why don't we finish dinner first."

Victoire blushed, "Of course." They were silent for a moment before Teddy spoke up again.

"What do you think about going to the beach on Monday?" Teddy asked.

Victoire furrowed her brow, "Don't you work on Mondays?"

Teddy shook his head with a smile, "Nope, it's Memorial Day. We can thank the Americans for that."

"That sounds great!" Victoire replied.

Teddy looked hesitant as if he had some bad news that would ruin their plans. "What?" Victoire asked, now worried that there was a catch.

"Well I sort of promised Caleb that I would go so he would have some company," Teddy started.

"But I promise, we'll spend lots of time together!" Teddy blurted out right after.

Victoire chuckled, "It's okay if Caleb comes with us, I'm just happy we have some time together."

"Me too," Teddy said while looking at her adoringly.

_**Teddy's POV**_

After dinner, Victoire immediately jumped to call Kevin while Teddy cleaned up. "Kevin? Hi, this is Victoire, Millie's friend," Teddy heard Victoire say.

"I just wanted to ask if you've noticed anything strange with Millie, she's been really distant lately and I just wanted to make sure nothing's wrong," Victoire continued.

Teddy continued to clean the dishes, smiling to himself. He was going to have Monday off and go to the beach with Victoire. The best part was, she didn't get angry at the prospect of having to share his attention with Caleb. She was definitely the best girl he'd ever been with. Teddy remembered during his Hogwarts years, his first girlfriend Kenzie was the exact opposite. She couldn't handle not being the center of his attention.

"What?" Victoire exclaimed. Teddy had finished drying everything off and walked into the living room where Victoire was now looking worried with her hand over her mouth. He watched as she nodded a few more times before thanking Kevin and hanged up the phone.

Teddy walked toward Victoire and grabbed her waist and pulled her close to him, "What's wrong?"

"Millicent's father died last week," Victoire replied vacantly.

She looked like she was about to collapse so Teddy led her towards the couch. "I can't believe she didn't tell me, I would have given her some time off," Victoire said.

"Maybe she wanted a distraction," Teddy suggested.

Victoire nodded, "I suppose…But still, I wished she would have told me. She shouldn't have to keep it to herself."

"You didn't know," Teddy said.

Victoire looked up, "I should have known. I mean I suspected something but I didn't push on. I just let her be. I'm such a bad friend."

"Shhh, you're not a bad friend Vic," Teddy said softly as he rubbed her back. "Some people just deal with things differently."

Victoire sighed, "I think I should go over right now."

Teddy nodded, even though he didn't want Victoire to leave right now, he knew she needed to be with Millicent right now. Besides, he would see her again on Monday.

Victoire reached up to kiss him just before she left. "Thanks for tonight," she smiled.

"Anytime," Teddy responded by holding her closer to deepen the kiss.

He felt Victoire smile on his lips, "Teddy, I have to go."

Teddy groaned before finally releasing her, "I'll see you on Monday."

"See you on Monday," she replied before disapparating.

* * *

Teddy made sure to go through the grounds rules with Caleb before they left for the beach. He was going to the beach with Caleb with Victoire but he made it clear that he wasn't going to play along with his usual games. There would also be no flirting on Caleb's part with Victoire. Lastly, Teddy had reserved a nice restaurant on the boardwalk for two, meaning by the evening, it was only going to be him and Victoire.

"What's this beach we're going to called?" Teddy asked.

"Coney Island," Caleb responded. "It's great, there are rides there as well."

Teddy nodded before knocking on the door; they were picking Victoire up since she too, didn't know where this beach was. When Victoire opened the door, she smiled brightly at Teddy before turning to Caleb, "Hello Caleb, good to see you again."

"Always a pleasure Vic," Caleb responded with a cheeky smile.

Teddy rolled his eyes before nudging Caleb to remind him of the rules. He then looked at Victoire again, his eyes wondered over her body and for a second, he contemplated on ditching Caleb and pulling Victoire back into the flat and calling it a day. Teddy felt Victoire smirk when she noticed him smiling, "Like what you see?"

Teddy let a low growl before pulling Victoire in for a quick kiss. "Get a room," Caleb said with a laugh.

"Okay, you can go to the beach yourself," Teddy suggested, he was half serious.

"I take that back," Caleb joked. Finally, they managed to leave the apartment building and headed for the subways.

As they exited the terminal, Teddy could make out just beyond the station the enormous ferris wheel that towered over everything else. Teddy could hear distant screams coming from the roller coaster, terrorizing its riders with its large drops and twists. He was definitely going on that ride. Before he knew it, Victoire had begun to pull him along towards the beach.

"This feels great," Victoire said as she laid on the towel, her large sunglasses covering half her face.

"Okay, I'm going to go over to those girls, wish me luck," Caleb said as he rubbed his hands together like he was scheming something devious.

Teddy chuckled, "Good luck mate." He then lied back down next to Victoire and pulled her closer.

_**Victoire's POV**_

Victoire soaked in the scene around her. The sand beneath her toes, the crashing waves and the salty breeze, all but reminded her of her childhood home. The only thing that made it better was Teddy holding her in his strong arms. Although her parents never did return to England, Shell Cottage would always be her first home. Victoire hoped one day, she would be able to start a family of her own in that house.

As the day went on, she watched as kids played in the sand while their parents watched from nearby. Caleb had gone back and forth between a dozen girls, having fun in his own way. In truth, he really didn't need Teddy but Victoire was glad nonetheless that they had a chance to come to the beach. It was currently nearing the afternoon and Teddy suggested they take a look around and go on a few rides.

After a few kiddie rides, Teddy pulled Victoire toward the giant structure that was the Cyclone as they called it. It was a larger wooden roller coaster that took up a big chunk of the beach. "I'll wait for you down here," Victoire said as Teddy went to purchase a ticket.

Teddy smirked. "Oh no you're not, you're coming with me," he said as he held up two tickets.

Victoire shook her head and started backing away with her two hands held in the air. "You know I'm scared of heights Teddy," Victoire said. There was no way she was going on that thing, besides, it looked quite old and Victoire wasn't sure if she could trust the beams to hold up.

Before she could make it any further away from the ride, Teddy ran after her before he caught her around the waist, her back against his body. "I'll be right next to you," he whispered. It sent a chill down her neck and she cursed him for having such power over her.

"I don't know about how safe that is," Victoire said hesitantly, although her voice was now less convincing and she slowly felt herself agreeing to go on the ride.

Teddy held her tighter, "I promise I'll keep you safe."

Victoire suddenly remembered the time when they went zip lining in the mountains during the camping trip. She was scared out of her mind but Teddy had managed to quell her fears and made her forget about everything. She realized how safe she had felt with him around. "Okay," Victoire whimpered, she was still scared a bit.

Before Victoire knew it, she was clamped into the seat next to Teddy. Suddenly, she didn't know why she had agreed to come on the ride in the first place, "I want to get off."

"The ride's about to start Vic," Teddy chuckled. The next moment, Victoire felt herself being propelled upwards along with the rest of the carts; there was no turning back.

Victoire's heart pounded as the carts made it further up the hill, at which point she felt as if she could touch the clouds. That thought alone frightened her even more but before panic could set in, she felt a warm hand squeeze around her own. Victoire turned to her left and saw Teddy smiling at her. Suddenly, all her fears disappeared, and the next moment, they had fallen.

The next three minutes were a blur, Victoire felt her body being thrown around, as they made various twists and turns. But none of it scared her, because just as Teddy promised, he kept her safe.

"That was fun wasn't it?" Teddy asked as he tried to catch his breath when they exited the ride.

Victoire nodded and smiled sincerely, in all honesty, it wasn't that bad.

"Want to go again?" Teddy asked with a smirk.

"No," Victoire said immediately, okay so she wasn't as brave as she thought, so sue her. Luckily, Teddy was only joking and decided it was time for them to take a lunch break. They caught up with Caleb who had managed to find himself some company.

Soon, the skies started darkening and the horizon shone a gradient of twilight colors, signaling the night to come. The luminesce from the rides were enough to allow people to see where they were going. The waves were starting to pick up and many families have all but abandoned the beach; the only people left in the ocean were experienced swimmers who enjoyed the now open waters. After a few more hours of enjoying the beach, Victoire and Teddy bid farewell to Caleb as they made their way the restaurant where Teddy had reserved a sitting for two.

Just before calling it a day, Victoire pulled Teddy toward the large ferris wheel that reminded her so much of the London Eye back in England. Despite being afraid of heights, she enjoyed riding ferris wheels because they felt more protected.

_**Teddy's POV**_

"It's beautiful," Victoire said as she stared out the window in awe.

"It is, isn't it," Teddy responded as he too looked out the window. The sight from above looked even more astounding then from below. When the ride stopped momentarily at the top to let the riders enjoy the view for a while, they stayed silent.

"Do you ever miss it?" Victoire asked, breaking the silence. "Home, I mean."

Teddy looked at her, "All the time."

Victoire nodded, "I was just thinking how much this ride reminded me of both England and France."

"Do you ever plan on going back?" Teddy asked.

"Of course, I don't plan on living here," Victoire said with feigned disgust.

Teddy chuckled. "Besides, I was really hoping to live in Shell Cottage once I have a family," Victoire said softly.

"What about France?" Teddy asked.

Victoire shrugged, "France is home too. But England is where I belong I think."

Suddenly, Teddy felt a small flutter of excitement in his stomach. He had long contemplated his future, he knew for sure he was returning to England. But now that Victoire was in the picture, he wasn't sure what her view was. He didn't know if she wanted to stay in the States for her company or return to France with her parents. But now that she herself said she desired to live in England to start a family, Teddy couldn't be any happier.

Teddy instinctively pulled Victoire onto his lap and kissed her. Victoire chuckled at his abrupt action, "What was that for?"

"I love you, you know that?" Teddy said with a smile. The moment couldn't have been more perfect; looking into her illuminating eyes, Teddy knew she was the one.

He noticed that she was a bit taken back at his sudden declaration but he soon felt her ease back into his body, "I love you too."

**A/N: Hooray for filler chapter! I thought it was time for a nice sweet chapter and an actual date that didn't revolve around dinner and physical intimacy. Hope you liked it.**


	29. The Future In Laws

**********************************************************Disclaimer: JK Rowling owns Harry Potter.**

**Chapter 29 **

_**Millicent's POV**_

"Vic, what are you doing here?" Millicent asked as Victoire suddenly appeared in her fireplace.

Victoire gave her a sad look, "We need to talk."

Millicent looked over at Kevin. "I'll give you two some time alone," he said as he kissed her forehead and left the room.

Victoire climbed into the bed and took the space that Kevin had just vacated. Millicent didn't know what to say, she was partly angry at Kevin for telling Victoire about her situation but was glad that it was finally out. The next moment, Victoire had reached over and pulled her in for a tight hug. Millicent suddenly felt herself cry for the first time since finding out that her father had passed.

"I can't believe he's gone Vic," Millicent sobbed. Her friend continued to brush her hair as she held her, trying to sooth her cries.

"And I didn't even get a chance to say goodbye," she continued.

"Well, at least you were able to spend time together at your wedding," Victoire offered.

Millicent felt a lump growing in her throat, if it hadn't been for her friend, she didn't know if she would have allowed her father to stay. This made her feel even sadder. "I just can't believe he's gone," she croaked.

For one reason or another, all the hate she had previously held for her father had disappeared. She no longer resented him for leaving and now desperately wished she had gotten to known him further. From the small conversations she had with him at her wedding, she could see herself in him; and despite everything, she loved him. "He knew he was dying, that's why he came to see me. He and Mum had been spending time together for a while before they came here for the wedding." Millicent said.

Victoire nodded. "I just wished he'd come sooner," Millicent finished. For the rest of the night, Millicent stayed in bed with Victoire. Kevin had agreed to sleep on the couch since he didn't want to disturb them and Millicent was now as grateful as ever that Kevin had decided to tell Victoire the truth.

The next morning, Millicent woke up with an empty bed. When she entered the kitchen, Kevin and Victoire were already eating breakfast. "Morning," Millicent whispered, her voice still hoarse from crying all night.

"Morning honey," Kevin responded.

Millicent reached the table and bent down to kiss her husband. She then turned to Victoire, "Vic, do you think I can have some time off? I want to go to France again to make sure my Mum's okay and to…" She felt herself welling up a bit from thinking of her father again.

Victoire immediately stood up and hugged her before assuring her that she could take as much time off as she needed. When Victoire had to leave for work, Millicent promised her that she would try to get back as soon as possible.

"Do you want me to go with you?" Kevin asked as he cleared the dishes.

Millicent shook her head, "No, it's fine. I can go alone this time. You should stay here."

"Are you sure? I can take a week off from work," Kevin suggested.

"I'm sure. You've already came to the funeral with me, there's no need this time," Millicent said. Kevin nodded and swooped down to kiss her before he too left for work.

_**Victoire's POV**_

Victoire had thoroughly enjoyed her long weekend, especially yesterday at the beach with Teddy. But today, she had to get back to work; with Millicent gone once again, she would have to do more work.

A week had passed and she still hadn't received any word from Millicent. She suspected that her friend was just spending time with her family. Victoire didn't want to impede her family affairs so she didn't call either. Besides, Millicent probably kept in contact with Kevin; if she got really worried, she could always ask him if he'd heard any news from her.

One afternoon as Victoire was returning from lunch, she spotted an owl from outside the window. She immediately let it in, hoping that no one had seen it. At first, she thought it might have been from Millicent but when she opened it, she knew it wasn't. To her surprise, it was from Leon.

_Dear Victoire,_

_Comment allez-vous? It has been a while since we have talked but I thought it would be nice to let you know that I met Millicent the other day. We have been talking and she told me about her father. I asked her how you were doing but she said she did not want to impose on our relationship and suggested I owl you myself. You once said that we could be friends, I hope this is still true and that you don't burn this letter before you read it. Anyways, I was just talking to Millicent the other day on how nice it would be to have a reunion; you should definitely come for a visit soon. _

_À bientôt,_

_Leon_

Victoire read the letter once more before folding it up. She had almost forgotten that Leon and Millicent had gone to the same school. It seemed like a lifetime ago that the three of them attended Beauxbatons. And although Victoire had forgiven Leon, she hadn't given their friendship much thought until now. She supposed it would be good to visit France again; she could make due on that promise to see her parents and surely, Millicent wouldn't mind if she were to check up on her as well.

* * *

"How do you feel about coming to France with me?" Victoire asked.

Teddy looked up at her with a smile, "Well that was sudden. What's this about?"

"Well, I was just thinking that I should visit my parents, and maybe check on Millie," Victoire said, she decided to leave out the part with Leon.

"Hmm, I suppose I could go for a week," Teddy replied.

Victoire clapped her hands together, "Great! This can be our first trip as a couple."

Teddy chuckled, "Let me check with my boss first, before you go celebrating."

Victoire pouted at Teddy for ruining her mood but was soon back to her elatedness when Teddy came home from work the next day and told her he'd taken a week off. "You're going to love it!" Victoire exclaimed. "And as I recall, the last time you were there, you must have been around twelve."

"Don't remind me," Teddy said.

Victoire furrowed her brow, "Why not?"

"Because soon after, we lost touch," Teddy said as he placed her on his lap.

Victoire turned to face him and placed her arms around his neck before resting her lips next to his ear. "But we found each other again," she whispered in a husky voice.

She watched as Teddy shivered, "If you keep talking like that, I can't be responsible for what I'm going to do in the bedroom."

Victoire smirked. "Ted-dy," she said in the same seductive voice, tempting him further. The next moment, she felt herself being picked up by Teddy as he walked towards the bedroom.

_**Teddy's POV**_

Teddy stood nervously as Victoire rang the doorbell. He hadn't seen Bill Weasley for years but he was sure he was going to be a lot less friendly now that Teddy was dating his little girl. Not that Victoire was little anymore, but Teddy doubted Bill Weasley would discriminate when it came to his daughter.

"Why do you look so nervous Teddy?" Victoire asked as they waited for someone to answer the door.

Teddy smiled nervously, "What if you parents don't like me?"

"Don't worry Teddy, they love you. Besides, it's not like they know we're together," she said, suddenly regretting the last part.

"What?" Teddy asked, looking at her incredulously. "You haven't told them about us?" he pointed between them.

Victoire looked at him apologetically, "I didn't know how to tell them in a letter."

"But…" Teddy started but was cut off when the door finally swung open, revealing a beautiful blonde woman who looked just like Victoire.

"Mon cherie!" Fleur cried as she hugged Victoire. Once Victoire had hugged her, the older woman turned her attention to him.

"Teddy, 'ow good to see you. I 'ave not seen you since you were zis tall," Fleur said as she tried to gesture Teddy's height when he was twelve. And before he knew it, she had engulfed him in a hug; equally as inviting as the one she had given her daughter.

"Maybe, this won't be as bad as I thought," Teddy thought to himself. But as soon as he saw Bill, Victoire's father, he had second thoughts. The man's face had aged since the last time Teddy saw him and made him look even more intimidating if that was even possible. Although Bill had given him a warm welcome as well, Teddy wasn't sure how hospitable they were going to be when they found out he was dating Victoire.

After the initial pleasantries, Fleur had told Victoire to bring him upstairs to set up while she finished dinner. Teddy looked around in awe, absorbing the regal environment that was the Delacour mansion. He appreciated the architecture and paintings far more as an adult then as he was as a child. The French influence was a nice contrast from the concrete New York.

When Teddy saw that Victoire had led them to her room, he frowned. "Vic, I don't think it's a good idea if we stay in the same bedroom. Your dad won't like it when he finds out we're dating."

Victoire smiled coyly. "Which is why I didn't tell him," she said as she reached for his neck before pulling him down for a kiss.

The kiss was intoxicatingly addicting but Teddy pulled back, "I'm serious Vic. I don't want your dad to kill me, or worst hate me."

Victoire giggled, "You need to sort out your priorities."

"Exactly, if I'm dead, then that's that. But if he doesn't kill me, he'll probably hate me. And I'll have to live knowing that I can't be with you," he replied, surprised at how smooth that sounded.

Victoire seemed to have agreed and stared at him a bit teary eyed. "That's so touching," she said in a joking tone but he could tell that she was honestly swayed by his speech.

Teddy gave her one more look before she gave in. "Fine, you can take the guest room, instead of staying here with me," she pouted.

Teddy shook his head with a smile, he had to give it to her for trying; truthfully, he was quite tempted and was about ready to give in but he couldn't tell her that.

* * *

When Fleur came up to tell them dinner was ready, she was surprised that Teddy was in the guest room. "Oh I zought you would be rooming togezer like old times," she said.

Teddy watched as Victoire looked down at her feet, a sign that she was nervous about saying something. This was it, Teddy thought, she was going to tell them. "Maman, we should go downstairs now," Victoire said as she pushed her mother out the door and downstairs.

He followed closely behind and when he reached the dining room, he was in awe again for the second time today. It was no surprise Victoire was an excellent cook, she took after her mother. It took much effort for him to keep his salivary glands in check and not drool all over the expensive rug.

"Everything looks wonderful Fleur," Bill said as he reached to kiss his wife.

"Oui, now let's eat," Fleur said as she gestured for Teddy and Victoire to sit as well.

Throughout dinner, the conversations were kept casual. Bill had asked him about his job and how the rest of the family were doing while Fleur spoke to Victoire. By the time dinner was finished, Victoire still hadn't brought up anything about their relationship. Teddy was beginning to lose hope.

When Fleur bought in the chocolate soufflé, Teddy saw Bill's eyes light up. Just as he started to dig into his dessert, Victoire had spoken up, "I have something to say."

Bill looked disgruntled at the fact that he would now have to wait until Victoire said what she had to say before eating his dessert but put down his fork nonetheless to listen more intently. Victoire cleared her throat before taking Teddy's hand, which was currently lying on the table.

"Teddy and I are dating," Victoire had blurted out. Victoire was now looking at everyone but Teddy only had eyes for one person in the room, Bill Weasley. He was almost sure he saw Bill's jaw clenched slightly when Victoire had dropped the bomb but the older man had stayed silent for what seemed like an eternity.

Fleur, who had noticed the awkward silence, bless her, finally spoke up. "Well, zat is very nice Victoire. I always zought you and Teddy would make a good couple," she said while eyeing her husband as if telling him to agree.

Finally, Bill spoke. "Yeah, I suppose," he mumbled.

"Oui, let us 'ave our soufflé before it falls apart," Fleur suggested. Bill immediately picked up his fork and started eating. Teddy could see him visibly relax and at that moment, he realized why Victoire had held off telling them until dessert. Teddy had learned, Bill Weasley had an obvious weakness to his wife's chocolate soufflé.

Teddy let out a deep breath, counting his lucky stars that he hadn't been hexed yet. He turned to look at Victoire and she smiled at him with a shrugged before digging into her own soufflé.

* * *

Teddy could now see why Bill Weasley had such an affinity for his wife chocolate soufflés, they were simply divine. After hurdling over the awkward confession, they four of them had enjoyed the rest of the night peacefully, much to Teddy's surprise. Bill even pulled him aside to tell him that he was glad Victoire had found someone like him but didn't hesitate to threaten him like Teddy had already suspected.

"I told you there was nothing to worry about," Victoire said as they sat on the couch enjoying some tea.

Teddy rolled his eyes and chuckled, "Easy for you to say, you weren't the one getting the death stares."

Victoire swatted his arm before he caught her wrist and pulled her in for a kiss. Almost immediately, he heard a stern "ahem." He and Victoire snapped their heads to look behind them and saw that Bill was staring at them. Teddy could see the blush on Victoire's cheeks behind her curtain of blonde hair while he attempted to morph his own blush when he felt his cheeks getting warm.

When Bill finally left after getting scold by his wife to leave them alone, Teddy and Victoire broke into a fit of laughter.

**A/N: Yay, more family interaction! I always love it when we go back to the roots of the Weasley family (did anyone pick up the Ron reference?). I know it's only Bill and Fleur but I love them and they're one of my favorite ships. But who knows, maybe Harry and Ginny will make an appearance soon as well *hint hint*. Anyways, I know this is another happy chapter but drama will soon ensue again. I'm not exactly done with Teddy and Victoire so no happy ending just yet.  
**


	30. Trouble is a Friend

******************************************************************A/N: Please, please, please review. I'm just wondering what I can improve upon, I know other T/V stories that are half the length as mine get like 4x the amount of reviews. I don't know if it's the characters or just that the story isn't as attracting as others; which leads me to my next question. **

******************************************************************I've written a few chapters ahead already and I'm at that point where I think I can wrap up the story if I wanted to. Up until now, I didn't mind too much on how little reviews I had to encourage me to write because I wrote for myself, but I've reached a point where if I feel like there isn't much interest in my story, I'm just going to wrap it up because I can. And possibly start a new fic (although I might take a break), so basically, let me know, if you guys would like me to continue this fic or end it (soon). I've had over 100 visitors (for just one chapter alone) according to my stats so I know there's a lot more of you out there so please, if not to review the story, then to let me know what you want. Sorry for the long note but this story is for you as much as it is for me now and I would like to give you guys a choice.  
**

**************************************************************Disclaimer: JK Rowling owns Harry Potter.**

**Chapter 30 **

"Are you sure you don't want to come with us Vic?" Teddy asked.

Victoire nodded and kissed him on the lips. "I have to check up on Millie, you have fun with Nikki." Dominique had come to visit once again upon hearing that Victoire had bought Teddy along this time. Her sister had been overly elated that Victoire finally got together with Teddy. This was also the first time in a long time that her sister had seen Teddy. Victoire had suggested Dominique take Teddy sightseeing while Victoire checked with Millicent.

"Come on Teddy, we have to get going," Dominique said from the door. Teddy shrugged before giving Victoire one last kiss and then took off with Dominique.

* * *

Victoire didn't know what she was doing but she felt that it would only be right if she visited him, she would leave right after to see Millicent. She stood outside his door, waiting for someone to answer. After a couple of minutes, Victoire was about to leave when she heard voices coming from the backyard. She contemplated on not interrupting but reasoned that Leon wouldn't mind if she let herself in.

When she rounded the house, she saw Leon on the grass playing with his daughter. But that wasn't the surprising sight, what surprised Victoire most was Millicent, who was currently sitting along side Leon and laughing. Victoire knew from the letter that Leon was helping Millicent cope but she had no idea how close they were. She then wondered where Brigette was; surely she wouldn't have happy to see Leon with another woman acting so close. And then it struck Victoire, as she thought back to everything Leon had told her; he never once mentioned anything about being with Brigette after Adrienne was born. Were they even together?

She didn't need to ponder long for it seemed that she was oblivious to the fact that her friends had spotted her. "Vic? What are you doing here?" Millicent asked.

Victoire could see from her friend's face that she had no idea of her visit. Leon on the other hand looked like he was guilty of something. Apparently, he hadn't told Millicent about asking Victoire to visit. Victoire drew a breath and walked forward, greeting Leon with a wave before she approached Millicent. "I just wanted to visit, to make sure you're doing alright."

"I asked her to come, I zought it would be magnifique if the zree of us could catch up," Leon cut in.

Millicent nodded before she smiled at Victoire. "Thanks for coming Vic," she said.

"Papa, qui est ce?" Adrienne asked; the little girl suddenly realizing that she was no longer the center of attention.

Leon chuckled before bringing his daughter into Victoire's view, "Adrienne, this is Papa's friend, Victoire."

"Bonjour Adrienne," Victoire said.

"Oú est Maman?" Adrienne asked, seemingly disinterested in meeting so many of her father's friends in one day.

Leon silently apologized to Victorie for his daughter's behavior before turning to Adrienne. "Your Maman will come pick you up later," Leon said before kissing her forehead. Adrienne seemed content by the answer and returned to playing with her toys.

"Brigette insists on Adrienne speaking French, but she understands English. I'm trying to teach her to speak but she listens to her mozer more then me," Leon said.

Victoire suddenly felt uncomfortable about asking Leon about Brigette but it seemed like he understood her confusion. "We are not togezer anymore. Brigette has Adrienne for most days and I get her for two days."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Victoire said automatically, although she wasn't sure if she had meant it. Even though Victoire was over Leon, it still didn't mean it didn't hurt that he had essentially chosen Brigette at the time.

"No need, I zink it was for the best," Leon said smiling as he began to stand. Millicent and Victoire both followed pursuit.

"Let's go inside, Brigette will be here to pick up Adrienne soon and zen we can go out," Leon suggested. Victoire looked to Millicent to see if it was alright and when she nodded, the two of them followed Leon into the house.

* * *

"So how are you doing Millie?" Victoire asked while Leon waited by the windows with Adrienne.

Millicent gave a shy smile, "It's been great, really Vic, you didn't even need to come and check up on me. After I visited my Mum and saw that she was doing well, I was alright. I guess I was more worried about her then myself."

Victoire nodded. "How did you meet Leon?"

"I was shopping in the supermarket and bumped into him last week," Millicent responded. "He asked if I would like to have lunch and we just got to talking. I told him about my father and he's been really helpful," Millicent said with hesitance.

Victoire shook her head, "It's okay, you don't have to think of him as a douchebag for me anymore. I'm over it."

"I know but I feel like I'm betraying you somehow," Millicent said.

"Don't worry about it Millie, seriously. It's old news and you're allowed to hang out with anyone you want to," Victoire reassured.

At this, Millicent smiled, "Thanks Vic, I'm glad you came."

* * *

"Are you girls ready to go?" Leon asked once Adrienne was gone. To say that the air was tense was an understatement. When Brigette had arrived, she stared at Victoire and Millicent with hostile eyes before looking at Leon. Victoire was thankful however, that the other woman didn't say anything and couldn't help but think that if Adrienne hadn't been there that there would have been some colorful words thrown at them.

Victoire nodded before taking Millicent by the arms as Leon let them pass through the doors first. Surprisingly, she felt like this was going to be a fun day.

_**Teddy's POV**_

"Is that Victoire?" Dominique asked as she squinted in the dark to see.

Teddy followed her gaze until it settled on the large mansion that was neighboring the Delacour estate. The lights shining from the rooms allowed Teddy to see just enough that it was in fact Victoire standing in front of the door. He watched as she kissed a man on the cheeks, before laughing her golden laugh. Soon after, the man shut the door and Victoire turned around. It was just bright enough for Teddy to discern the smile on her face. He suddenly felt knots growing his stomach and before he knew it, his fists were clenched.

"Who was that?" Teddy asked calmly, or as calmly as he could manage.

"That's Leon," Dominique responded with a disgusted face. She still hadn't forgiven the boy who broke her sister's heart despite Victoire insisting that she was okay.

Teddy snapped his head, "Leon? As in Vic's ex?"

Dominique nodded gravely, "Come on, let's get inside first." Teddy reluctantly followed Dominique into house.

* * *

"So where did you go today Vic?" Dominique asked from across the dinner table.

Teddy watched as Victoire eyed her sister with confusion. "I hung out with Millicent," she responded nonchalantly.

"And who else…" Dominique started but Teddy cut in. Teddy knew what Dominique was trying to do but he didn't want to hear anything he didn't want to know. He trusted Victoire and if she didn't say anything, then it was probably nothing.

"How's Millicent doing?" he asked as he cut into the steak.

Victoire smiled, "Much better. Nikki, do you think you can show Teddy around for another day, I promised Millie that I would meet her tomorrow."

"Or we could just all hang out together," Dominique suggested.

Victoire scrunched her face at Dominique. "You know Millie is still fragile, I don't want to crowd her," Victoire said and shot an apologizing look at him.

"It's fine, Nikki and I can hang out together Vic," Teddy immediately said before Dominique could object. He threw Dominique a look asking her to just go along with it. Thankfully, with her parents around, Dominique obliged.

For the rest of the dinner, Teddy tried not to picture Victoire with Leon but to no avail. He didn't understand why Victoire had taken up a friendship with the git after he had broken her heart. He only hoped that this Leon bloke was smart enough to not mess it up again. But if he were to hurt Victoire again, Teddy would make sure that that was the last time he would ever hurt her.

However, he was soon distracted from his thoughts. After dinner, Victoire had pulled him into her room and busied herself with feeling his body and snogging him thoroughly. Teddy had almost forgotten that they weren't alone until he heard a knock from the door. He groaned as her lips left his as she got up to check the door.

"It's time for bed," Teddy heard Bill say.

Teddy suddenly became flushed with embarrassment and hoped that the older man hadn't heard any of what he and Victoire had been doing for the past hour. And it seemed like Victoire had shared the same sentiment when she turned to face him with a blush of her own.

"I think I better be heading to my room, wouldn't want to get hexed by your dad," Teddy joked.

It was now Victoire's turn to groan as she perched herself on him again, giving him her best impression of trying to convince him otherwise, "You could stay a little longer," she teased as she drew circles on his chest with her finger.

Teddy chuckled, "You know I rather continue this then go back to my room." He sat up and pulled her onto his lap, "But Bill is pretty scary when he's mad."

Victoire rolled her eyes before smiling and pulled him in for one last kiss before he had to retreat back to his own room. For a moment, Teddy thought about throwing all his fears of Bill out the window but soon thought better of it. He reluctantly pulled them apart and placed Victoire on her bed before kissing her on the forehead and left for the guest room.

* * *

Teddy couldn't tell exactly what time it was, all he knew was that it was still nighttime; the sun hadn't risen yet and the moonlight still penetrated the skies. He felt a lump fall beside him as he groggily turned to face the intruder on his bed. Teddy only half opened his eyes before he realized the familiar smell of strawberry and vanilla that belonged to Victoire.

"You're going to be trouble," he said, sleep still apparent in his voice but upbeat nonetheless.

He heard her giggle before snuggling into him, "So what if I am?"

Teddy wrapped his arms around her, "But you're worth it."

His body was beginning to object being woken at the middle of the night but just before drifting off, he suddenly felt like asking Victoire something. "Vic?"

"Hmm?" she answered, equally tired sounding.

"Should I be worried about Leon?" he asked. Teddy felt her pull back little but he continued to clutch her in his arms.

"No," she whispered before settling back into his arms.

Teddy took this as a good sign, "I love you."

"I love you too," she responded. For the rest of the night, Teddy was sure he slept with a smile on his face. And although he wouldn't be smiling the next morning if Bill Weasley found him sleeping with his daughter in the same bed, he just couldn't bring himself to care at that moment.

_**Victoire POV**_

"Should I be worried about Leon?" Teddy had asked.

The question took Victoire by surprise, she had no idea he was aware of her spending time with Leon. Granted, nothing was going on with Leon, Victoire was still unsure of what to make of Teddy's question. Was he worried that she was doing something with Leon behind his back? Victoire hoped that Teddy had enough sense to trust her. She no longer had feelings for Leon but then again, why hadn't she told him that she not only hung out with Millicent but with Leon as well.

Victoire decided it was too much to think about for the night and felt herself being drawn to sleep. "No," she whispered before drawing closer to him again.

"I love you," he said in response.

Her heart fluttered at this and she barely made out her response, "I love you too." She felt Teddy float back into sleep before she blacked out as well.

The next morning, before anyone else had risen, Victoire woke up with a jolt. As much as she wanted to stay in bed with Teddy, she knew her father would not like it as much as she had teased Teddy about it yesterday. She quickly pulled herself away from Teddy's arms before taking a look at his face; he was currently smiling. Victoire smiled and hoped that she was the cause of his happy dreams before wondering out of the guest room and into her own.**  
**


	31. Thin Ice

******************************************************************A/N: Just to get something straight because I noticed a lot of people commented/PM on how I shouldn't stop the story; I'm not going to leave you guys hanging and stop writing abruptly. If I do end the story, I will make sure it gets an ending. My main question from last time was if you guys wanted this story to end sooner or later. And if you understood my question from last time and I'm just thinking too much, please ignore this note :)  
**

******************************************************************Disclaimer: JK Rowling owns Harry Potter.**

**Chapter 31 **

_**Millicent's POV**_

Millicent had once again spent the day with Victoire and Leon; it was a welcome distraction from her depressed state. She walked over to the phone and played the voice messages. Each one was the same; they were all from Kevin, voicing his concern on why she still hadn't called him back. Millicent sighed before deleting the messages just like she had done with the previous ones.

The truth was, she didn't want to deal with her life. She wanted to escape it all, which is why she came to France. Of course, she hadn't expected it to be this easy but it seemed like fate had other ideas when she bumped into Leon Portier, Victoire's ex boyfriend. At first, she had been hesitant about accepting his lunch offer but soon reasoned that she had nothing better to do.

And after spending time with the man, she concluded that he wasn't a bad guy, he was just stupid and made a mistake with Victoire. Millicent found herself becoming more confortable in his presence and soon, forgot all about her other life. However, she could not forget it completely. Everytime she came home, Kevin had left messages for her and it all came crashing back to reality. Her father had died and she was a mess. The first week was bad, she often cried herself to sleep.

When Victoire had first came to visit, she was hesitant. She thought that Kevin might have convinced her friend to check up on her and to see why she wasn't answering his calls. But after Leon had revealed that it was he who asked Victoire to come, she felt a wave of relief wash over her. And it's not like she didn't feel guilty about cutting her husband out, it was just the fact that for some reason, it all reminded her of her father. It probably had something to do with the fact that her wedding to Kevin had marked the beginning of her forgiveness to her father but it was cut tragically short.

Millicent lied on her bed. She was as confused as ever. Her feelings were all jumbled up and at the moment, she had no intention of organizing them, she would just enjoy her time. The one thing that did stand out was the feeling of familiarity she had when Leon was around. For some reason, she felt safe whenever she was around him, which would explain why she had been spending so much time with him. But the question still remained, why did she feel this way about him?

_**Victoire's POV**_

After spending the first two days with Millicent and Leon, she felt it was time she spent some time with Teddy. After all, he did take off from work for her even though he had done it knowing that she was going to check up on Millicent. For the next three days, Victoire and Teddy traveled through France, enjoying the French atmosphere and food.

Everything had been well except for a few times when Leon had ran into them. Teddy always acted weird around her ex boyfriend, not that she could blame him. But after almost every encounter, he would question her about Leon's intentions with her. It grew tiring after a while, Victoire continuously pressed on that she considered Leon a friend and assured Teddy that there was nothing going on between them. Although it was endearing to think that Teddy could be jealous, Victoire's patience had grown thin.

"Leon isn't a threat," Victoire countered. They had been arguing for the past ten minutes due to their last encounter with Leon.

"Then why is he always giving me this smug look whenever you talk to him?" Teddy asked.

Victoire gave Teddy a look as if to say he wasn't making any sense. "It's not his fault, French people just normally exude confidence."

Teddy chuckled, "Are you seriously going to tell me that he looks like that because he's French?"

"Well what do you want me to say Teddy? I already told you there's nothing to worry about," Victoire said as she placed her hands on her hips.

"You know what, nothing," Teddy said before leaving for the door. "I need some fresh air."

"Wait, you don't even know how to get around," Victoire said as she followed him to the door.

Teddy shrugged, "Maybe I'll just ask Leon." Without another word, he left. Victoire was too angry to protest and slammed the door after him.

"What is all ze commotion?" Fleur asked as she ran to see what the noises were.

"Nothing Maman," Victoire said.

"Where is Teddy?" Fleur asked.

Victoire shrugged, "He went to take a walk."

Fleur scrunched her face, "But he does not know French."

"Serves him right," Victoire mumbled before sighing. "I'll go find him," she said in defeat.

"Good, please be back by dinner," Fleur warned before Victoire took off with a slam. The older woman looked displeased by her daughter's behavior but resumed her cooking in the kitchen.

* * *

Victoire wondered around the city, she wasn't worried about Teddy too much; he knew how to apparate back to their house. On top of this, she was sure her efforts would go unnoticed, Bordeaux may not be as big as Paris but it was big enough that finding Teddy would be like finding a needle in a haystack. Nonetheless, she looked.

When she finally stopped walking, she found herself in a park. Victoire decided to take a rest and was happy that walking had calmed her down a bit. She wondered if it had done the same for Teddy, she hoped he would be in a better mood when he returned.

Victoire sat for what seemed like an hour before she decided that she would start heading back. She doubted that Teddy would stay out for too long, he didn't know French so it would be hard to get back after dark. Just as she turned to leave, she heard someone calling her name. For a second, she dared to hope that it was Teddy but sadly, when she turned around, she didn't see any sign of Teddy. She was confused when she didn't see anyone she recognized. But she was sure she had heard her name and let's face it, how many "Victoires" were there in the world.

"Kevin?" Victoire asked when the man finally came to view.

"I was hoping to see you," he said exasperatedly, he had ran quite some length to catch up with her before she left.

Victoire chuckled, "Breathe Kevin," she said while placing her hand on his back.

When Kevin finally caught his breathe, "When did you get here?" Victoire asked.

"I just got here yesterday night," he responded.

"How's Millie doing, I haven't seen her for three days but I'll probably see her before I leave," Victoire asked. "What are you doing in France anyways?"

She watched as Kevin looked down, "I don't know what's going on with Millie and I. She hasn't responded to any of my calls since she got here. I was starting to get worried and I didn't know your number so I had to come here myself."

"What?" Victoire exclaimed? Kevin shrugged.

"Did something happen before she left?" Victoire asked.

Kevin shook his head, "No, when she left, we were fine. She promised to call me but two weeks passed and I didn't hear anything from her. I would have come sooner but my boss wouldn't let me take off without notice so I had to wait until yesterday to come."

"She didn't say anything was wrong. In fact, she seemed perfectly well when we hung out together with Leon," Victoire said.

"Who's Leon?" Kevin asked. Victoire noticed the slight hint of suspicion in his voice and immediately regretted mentioning Leon. It seemed like her ex boyfriend was garnering quite the amount of attention.

"Um, just a school friend," Victoire answered, hoping to deter Kevin from thinking of the worst. However, if Victoire was honest with herself, she was trying to convince herself of that as well. It seemed like her friend had spent an awful lot of time with Leon while she ignored Kevin who was her husband. Victoire was beginning to worry for Kevin's sake but she hoped to Merlin that Millicent had a good reason for all of this.

Victoire stood up, "Hey, why don't you come over for dinner, my Maman makes the best French food. Maybe I can call Millie and ask her to join us as well." Kevin seemed open to the idea and smiled before he followed Victoire back to her house.

* * *

When Victoire returned to the house, her mother had mistaken Kevin for Teddy. "Oh you found Teddy?" Fleur asked when she heard Victoire calling her.

"Oh, who is zis?" Fleur asked when she entered the hall and saw that it was not Teddy.

"Maman, this is Kevin. He's Millie's husband," Victoire said.

Kevin gave her mother a curt nod, "Nice to meet you Mrs. Weasley."

"Oh, please call me Fleur. Will you be joining us for dinner?" Fleur said.

"I hope that's okay with you Maman," Victoire cut in.

"Oui, ze more ze merrier," Fleur said before making her way back to the kitchen.

"You're mother is really nice," Kevin said.

Victoire laughed, "Well, she is when she wants to be; but you don't want to be around when she's mad."

Kevin chuckled. "Okay, make yourself at home, I'm going to give Millie a ring and ask her to come over for dinner.

When Victoire got upstairs, she hurriedly grabbed the phone and called Millie's home. Unfortunately, no one answered and after calling three times, Victoire resolved that her friend was not home. Victoire sighed, she really didn't want to think it but her friend may actually just be a house away. She decided to find out but decided to not let Kevin know; it wouldn't look good if Millicent was in fact over at Leon's house.

With a loud crack, she apparated to the front of Leon's house. She knocked on the door with force while her other hand pushed the doorbell repeatedly. Finally, after some time, Leon answered the door. "Bonsoir Victoire, what can I do for you?"

She immediately pushed him out of the way and walked into the house. "Is Millie here?" she asked angrily.

And before Leon could answer, Millicent walked out from the kitchen. "Oh hi Vic, do you want to join us for dinner?" she asked with a smile, unaware that her husband was just next-door.

Victoire looked her friend, her eyes throwing daggers. "Care to tell me why you haven't answered any of Kevin's calls?"

Millicent immediately looked down, "I was going to call him back eventually."

"Eventually? Millie, the man's your husband for Merlin's sake. He has the right to know how you are doing, the least you could have done was call him back," Victoire exclaimed.

"I…" Millicent started but Victoire turned her attention to Leon.

"What are your intentions Leon?" Victoire asked, sounding eerily similar to Teddy.

Leon looked at her with confusion before Millicent cut it, "He didn't know I was married."

Victorie immediately snapped her head at her friend again. Her heart sank when she saw that Millicent was no longer looking remorseful. "Is there something you want to say Millie," Victoire sighed.

"I like him," Millicent said.

And before Victoire knew what she was doing, she had slapped Millicent across the face. She however immediately regretted it, as she saw the hurt look in her friend's eyes. Even if she was mad at Millicent, she shouldn't have gotten violent, but she couldn't help herself. "I can't believe it. I would have never expected this from you. From him, yes," Victoire said as she pointed to Leon. "But not from you," Victoire finished before rushing out the door.

Victoire didn't get far because Leon had stopped her just before she reached the gate. "Victoire, wait," Leon said as he grabbed her wrist.

Victoire struggled against his grip as she tried to punch his chest but he was too strong. He didn't fight back, only restrained her until she finally gave up and started crying. "Why do you always hurt someone?" Victoire mumbled.

Leon placed his hands on her shoulders before looking down, "Victoire, I had no idea Millie was married let alone have feelings for me. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt anyone."

Victoire nodded silently. "Do you want me to tell her to leave?" Leon asked.

"Do you have feelings for Millie as well?" Victoire asked, ignoring his previous question.

Leon sighed, "Honestly, I don't know what I feel for her."

"No," Victoire said.

"No?" Leon asked.

"Don't tell her to leave. I don't think I will be talking to her for a while, but she needs a friend right now; even if she won't admit it, she's still not over her father's death. And you seem to be the only person she wants to be around," Victoire said.

Leon picked her chin up with his finger, "You're a good friend Victoire."

Victoire smiled, "Even though I hate her right now, she's still my friend."

"I guess I won't be seeing you anytime soon then," Leon said.

"No, I guess not," Victoire responded, realizing that if she wasn't going to talk to Millicent, she wasn't going to be able to be around Leon.

Leon hugged her, "Don't worry, I'll take care of her."

* * *

Little did she know the scene was currently unraveling in front of Teddy, who had been standing by the house, in a whole different light. When Victoire finally left the Portier property, she was startled when Teddy suddenly emerged from the darkness. "So are you going to tell me that there's nothing going on between you two?" he asked, his voice masked with anger.

Victoire felt her nerves unsettling. Here she was having gone through a big falling out with her friend and all Teddy wanted to do was bring up their fight from earlier.

But before she knew it, he had broken the thin ice they were treading on. "You know what Teddy, it doesn't matter what I say anymore. You've already made your mind up that there must be something between us even though I've told you a millions times that I don't feel anything for him anymore. I won't fight with you anymore. This isn't working, you don't trust me," she exclaimed.

"Fine," Teddy said before turning and walked off in the direction of her house. Her heart broke a little when he said his last word, for she knew, he would not be there when she returned.

**A/N: *Scurries behind a shield* Don't hurt me! I no, how horrible of me to ruin Vic's relationship with not only Teddy but Millicent as well and in one chapter nonetheless. But I promise, everything will come around, if not right away so I beg of you to spare me. **


	32. Kiss from Another

**********************************************************************Disclaimer: JK Rowling owns Harry Potter.**

**Chapter 32 **

"Hey mate, I'll go get us a drink," Luke said.

Teddy nodded sadly, he definitely needed a drink after the night he had. How he managed to mess up the one thing that was good in his life was beyond him but he knew what he needed right now was a fire whiskey to scorch his throat and wash away the pain.

Teddy didn't feel like returning to the States just yet since he was technically still on his break so he decided to return home. He was surprised to find his flat in one piece and Luke sitting on the couch watching the telly. His friend was as surprise to see him but immediately greeted him with open arms. And when Luke saw the look on Teddy's face, he knew they needed a drink. So here there were, sitting in the Leaky Cauldron.

After Teddy had drank what seemed like enough to fill the Thames River, he was beginning to feels his world spin. Unfortunately, Luke had left earlier because he had an early meeting tomorrow for his job. Luke was hired as the new coach for the Puddlemere United, now that his playing career was over. His friend seemed to have matured quite a bit from the last time he saw him and even though Luke had insisted on Teddy going home with him, Teddy assured his friend that he would be alright. Although right now, Teddy felt anything but alright.

"Ted?" he heard someone say.

Teddy snapped his head but immediately regretted it. He held his head in an attempt to stop the spinning, "What's it to you?"

He heard a giggle, "Ted Lupin, I haven't seen you since you graduated from Hogwarts."

When Teddy finally regained some sort of balance, he looked up to see a pair of chestnut brown eyes looking at him.

"If you weren't so drunk, I'd say you've only gotten more handsome with time," the woman said.

Teddy flashed his goofy smile, "Oh you thought I was handsome?" He now recognized the familiar eyes that stared at him, coupled with the bright auburn hair, he realized the woman that sat in front of him was Kenzie Martin.

Kenzie giggle again, "Why else do you think I dated you?" Teddy noticed her voice was tipsy as well. Great, two drunken idiots, saying things that they would most likely regret in the morning.

But Teddy couldn't help himself, he welcomed the distraction. "I don't know, how about my dashing personality?" he asked in a cheeky tone.

"No, I don't think so," she laughed with a hiccup before downing her drink.

Teddy feigned hurt before laughing. "No, but as I recall, you were a good kisser," Kenzie said with a flirty tone.

And before he knew it, she messily pressed her lips onto his. Despite being drunk, Teddy had enough sense to pull back. He and Victoire might have broken up, but that didn't mean he wanted to run off and snog the nearest female, particularly not his ex girlfriend. "We can't do this," Teddy slurred.

"Why not?" Kenzie whined, trying to latch onto his face again.

Teddy moved away, trying to avoid her lips at any cost. When she finally realized that he wasn't going to give in, she pouted before standing up. "You're such a bore."

_**Victoire's POV**_

After having some time to think things over, Victoire realized that she made a big mistake. She said things in the heat of the moment that she didn't mean and now that Teddy had gone, she realized she missed him. It was a petty fight that should have never happened. Instead of being adults and talking about what really happened, they fought like children, not trusting each other. However, Victoire didn't know where Teddy had gone until she received a surprising letter.

_To Vic,_

_Ted's here in England._

_Luke_

That was all, four words, her ex boyfriend who happened to also be her now newly ex-boyfriend's friend turned awkward-not-exactly-stranger, had written to her. Awkward as it may have seemed, that was all Victoire needed and she packed her bags. Unfortunately, Victoire had to send Kevin off without revealing what happened with Millicent. She felt bad about leading Kevin astray but this was something her friend had to figure out herself and currently, Victoire had her own problems to deal with.

Everything Victoire had gone over in her head on her way to the Leaky Cauldron was forgotten the moment she saw Teddy snogging a woman at the table. Her chest tightened as she watched his lips be taken by another. Victoire felt her eyes begin to water, her head felt clogged and suddenly, the need for air became unbearable and without another glance, she ran out the door.

Victoire felt her tears fall at an uncontrollable rate as she ran. When she finally arrived back at the hotel, she ignored the doorman as he greeted her and immediately went up the stairs to her room. She had rented a room because she had come to England rather suddenly and didn't want to disturb her relative this late.

That night, she cried herself to sleep, wishing that she had someone to talk to. If she wanted to talk to her family, she would have to wait till the morning. At times like this, Victoire desperately wished that Millicent were still around. Her friend would know exactly what to say to cheer her up. She didn't know anyone else in England, Teddy was her only friend when she lived here; Victoire had never felt so alone in her life before.

_**Luke's POV**_

Luke woke up to tripping over Teddy in the morning as he made his way to the kitchen. "What the…?" Luke exclaimed when he realized his friend was lying on the floor. Teddy reeked of alcohol and from the looks of it; his friend was definitely out cold. Luke sighed before waving his wand and levitated his friend into his bed. Luke wondered if Victoire had received his letter about Teddy being back in England. Teddy had explained his situation to him and Luke couldn't help but feel sorry for his friend. He knew his friend made a big mistake so he mailed Victoire. But it seemed like she hadn't taken his offer.

After taking care of Teddy, Luke left a few bottles of pepper up potion on the nightstand for when his friend woke up. Finally, when everything was taken care of, Luke apparated to the quidditch pitch to begin coaching. He had been on the job for over two weeks and things were going swimmingly. Initially, the players had been wary of the fact that their coach was the youngest in the league but Luke quickly proved his quidditch prowess despite being so young.

When Luke had finished explaining their game play, the players took off and started practicing with Luke keeping a watchful eye on the team. An hour into practice, a figure emerged from the other side of the field. The person was making their way towards him. When she was close enough, Luke realized it was Olivia.

"Guys, let's take a quick ten," Luke called out. All the players shrugged and dismounted off of their brooms, chattering amongst themselves on the bleachers.

_**Olivia's POV**_

"Looks like you're settling in alright," Olivia said when she reached Luke.

"I'd like to think so," Luke responded cheekily.

They stood together silently for the next minute, neither one sure of what to say or how to say it. "So, what's up Liv?" Luke asked, breaking the silence.

Olivia sighed, if only everything was so simple that it could be answered to a "what's up?" Three days ago, Clark had returned home. At first it seemed odd, Olivia was expecting his attorney to deliver the divorce papers but let him in nonetheless. When Clark finally broke his silence, he had asked her something that confused her. "Do you want to forget everything and give this another go?" he had asked her.

At the time, Olivia wanted to smack him upside the head for asking something like that. How could they possibly forget everything and move on from the mess that was their marriage. Of course, Olivia took most of the blame which was why she was surprised to see her husband in the first place. Olivia was quiet for the most part, only asking Clark to give her some time to figure things out. He obliged and left without another word.

And now here she was, standing in front of the man that could change everything. Oddly enough, the first person she thought of after Clark had left was Luke. Even though they had a fight and she had said some pretty awful things to Luke the last time he was over, she couldn't find it in herself to avoid him any longer. Today, she had finally gathered enough courage to approach him.

"Clark asked me if I wanted to get back together," Olivia said.

"Oh," Luke responded. Although he didn't say anything else, Olivia could see the distaste on his face. When he stayed silent, Olivia only wished that he would voice what he was thinking.

"Do you…" Olivia started.

Luke suddenly smiled, "Well, congrats on fixing your marriage."

Olivia wrinkled her nose; she wanted to say that her marriage wasn't fixed and that if Luke wanted to, she was willing to give _them_ another try. But he apparently didn't feel that way, he was just going to push everything under the rug and pretend nothing happened. Olivia sighed, although she wanted Luke to speak up, she wasn't surprised at his lack of saying anything especially at the way she dismissed him the last time.

"Yeah, I guess," Olivia responded, a little unsure of what to say after that.

Luke scratched his neck, "Is that it Olivia? I have to get back to coaching."

Olivia suddenly felt a piece of her break; Luke hadn't called her by her full name for as long as she'd known him. When they were younger, he would always have trouble pronouncing her name correctly so he took it upon himself to call her Liv. If he was willing to let go of their past, she supposed she should as well. "Yeah," Olivia whispered.

"Take care of yourself," Luke said before calling back his team to resume practice.

That night, Olivia invited Clark over for dinner; she agreed to give it another shot.

_**Teddy's POV**_

Teddy spent the day, wondering aimlessly around London. He desperately wanted to forget about what had transpired the night before. His memory was blurry but it wasn't blurry enough for him to forget the kiss he had with Kenzie. Teddy was just thankful Victoire wasn't around to witness the mess he created. Thankfully, Harry had invited him over to dinner tonight so he was less prone to do something stupid again.

Teddy left Luke a note before taking off for the Potter house. When he reached the front door, he was greeted by a head of red hair. From far away, one might have mistaken Lily Potter for her mother but there was no mistaking it up close.

"Wotcher Lils," Teddy said with a smile.

"Teddy!" Lily Potter exclaimed before embracing him. Teddy watched as two black heads appear from the stairs; the mischievous brown eyes of James Potter and the cat like green of Albus Potter looking down on him.

"Hey guys," Teddy said as he ruffled both of the Potter boys' hair, as if it wasn't messy enough.

James made a disgruntled face, "I'm not a kid anymore Ted, and neither is Albus. Lily is the only one who still goes to Hogwarts."

"Only one more year to go," Lily interrupted her brother.

Teddy chuckled, "I know James, but to me, you'll always be my little brother."

"Why so gloom Al?" Teddy asked, noticing the younger Potter boy looking a bit put out.

"Al is just found out that Rose is going out with Scorpius Malfoy," Lily teased.

"Shut it Lily," Albus exclaimed.

"Albus Potter! That is no way to talk to your little sister," Ginny said. When she noticed Teddy standing in the hallway, the redhead immediately welcomed him with a hug that rivaled Molly Weasley's.

"I'm so glad you could make it dear," Ginny said as she led him to the living room.

Teddy looked around the room, "Where's Harry?"

"Harry will be home soon, he got called into the Auror's office this afternoon," Ginny replied. "But you mister, have a lot of explaining to do for not visiting us sooner."

Teddy blushed, "M'sorry Ginny. Work's been keeping me."

"Is it work, or a girl?" Ginny asked with a playful grin, raising her eyebrow at the latter.

And Teddy immediately remembered Victoire again. He had been distracted up until now, but he knew he couldn't run away from Ginny. He might as well tell her the truth. "Actually, it was a little bit of both," Teddy said in a defeated tone.

Ginny squealed, but someone interrupted her before she said anything. "Aunt Ginny, who is it?" Victoire asked.

Teddy immediately looked at Ginny before his eyes landed on Victoire. There she was, staring back at him with her icy blue eyes. But this time, they weren't loving gazes, they were hurtful glares and before Teddy could say anything, Victoire whipped around and left the room.

As Teddy began to stand, Ginny pulled him down and patted his arm. "Let me talk to her Ted," she said sadly. She stood up and headed in the direction that Victoire just left. Teddy slumped back onto the couch with a defeated sigh.

_**Victoire's POV**_

Victoire should have known better then to have come visit her Aunt and Uncle. Teddy was in essence their son and he would no doubt visit them as well while he was in England. Victoire had apparated to the Potter's house this morning, much to her Aunt Ginny's surprise. Her aunt embraced her for a good five minutes before letting go. Victoire felt guilty for not visiting her aunt, Ginny had always considered Victoire her favorite niece even though her Maman wasn't exactly Ginny's favorite person in the world when they were younger.

Her cousin Lily was equally excited to see Victoire; the youngest Potter had always looked up to Victoire. "So Vicky, what brings you all the way to England? I mean don't get me wrong, I've been expecting a visit from you, but why didn't you tell us sooner?" Ginny asked.

"I was around the area and I needed someone to talk to," Victoire whispered before she felt a few tears develop. Ginny immediately comforted her and when Victoire finally calmed down, the two women discussed the events that led her to the untimely visit. They had been talking for most of the afternoon before Ginny offered Victoire to stay for dinner.

However, during the middle of their talk, someone had rung the doorbell. Ginny had asked Lily to get the door so Victoire didn't think much of it. She thought it was probably one of her cousins' friends. When Albus started raising his voice, Ginny excused herself to check on her troublesome children. Victoire thought her aunt was taking quite a long time so she ventured out into the living room. And that's when she saw him, his blue hair giving him away instantly. Suddenly, Victoire felt a rush of feeling overwhelm her. She didn't allow him a chance to say anything for she ran away immediately.

**A/N: Yes pile on the hate. Sorry, it has to get worse before it gets better! But yay for the Potter cameo; I told you they may be making an appearance again.**


	33. Dinner with the Potters

**************************************************************************Disclaimer: JK Rowling owns Harry Potter.**

**Chapter 33 **

One may have looked through the Potter's windows, took one look at the family and said they were having a perfectly normal dinner. However, if you were currently sitting at the table, staring straight at your ex girlfriend while she refused to look up at you; you would know that this dinner was anything but perfect. After Ginny left to console Victoire, Teddy sat at the couch shocked. He had no idea why Victoire was in England; he thought she would stay in France for a while before returning to New York.

"Anyone home? Gin? Kids?" Harry called out.

When no one answered, Harry had walked into the living room and saw Teddy sitting on the couch. Teddy hadn't registered that his godfather was finally home but it only took a second for him to notice. "Harry!" Teddy exclaimed.

"Ted, what are you doing here?" Harry asked in an amused voice before the older man reached out to hug him.

Teddy took in his godfather's scent, missing the safeness he felt since he was a little kid. Although Teddy had never known his parents, he never actually felt alone; most of it had to do with the man that he was currently hugging. He didn't realize how much he'd miss home until now. "Came for a visit, hope that's okay," Teddy replied.

"Of course Ted, you know you're always welcome," Harry chuckled.

"So where's Gin and the kids?" he asked while looking around. At that moment, as if on cue, Lily walked into the living room and hugged her dad. The youngest Potter girl had always been a daddy's girl growing up. Eventually, James and Albus followed suit and greeted their dad albeit with less enthusiasm as their sister.

When Ginny finally walked in, she kissed her husband while he placed his hand on her waist, looking at her dotingly. For a moment, Teddy forgot how common it was for Harry and Ginny to act this way and he instantly felt overly happy that two people could still love each other after all these years. Teddy knew his godparents went through a lot during their youth, it was particularly difficult during the year Harry was on the run with Ron and Hermione while Ginny stayed put in Hogwarts. But they had managed to work it out in the end.

"Come on then, since we're all here, let's have dinner," Ginny announced. After everyone left the living room again, Teddy was left alone with Ginny. Ginny smiled at him sadly before walking towards him and resting a hand on his shoulder, "It'll be okay Teddy. I'm sure you guys are going to work it out."

Teddy suddenly felt like a huge disappointment; Ginny had known about his relationship with Victoire and their break up. Although it wasn't hard to figure out that his godmother would coax it out of Victoire, it was still embarrassing that Ginny knew. Slowly, Teddy nodded before following Ginny into the dinning room where the whole family had already taken a seat. James was arguing with Albus about quidditch while Lily sat on the other end next to the person he had been dreading to face, Victoire. The two girls seemed to be catching up while Harry joined in to see how his niece was doing.

Ginny eventually took the seat next to Victoire. Teddy was about to sit but before he made it to the chair, James pushed Albus to the seat Teddy was going to take which left Teddy to sit between the two brothers. Normally, this would annoy Teddy to have to deal with their antics throughout dinner, but today, it would be worse. Because not only would he have to sit in between James and Albus, he was also sitting directly across Victoire. The moment he took his seat and looked in her direction, she looked down.

That was how Teddy ended out sitting across from Victoire during the Potter dinner. By the time dessert was served, it seemed like James and Albus had forgotten about their previous argument and were back to talking again, shouting between Teddy. Ginny had to once again shout at her sons for being so messy while Harry just sat back and laughed. Lily was engrossed in telling Victoire about something but Teddy could see she didn't really want to be here; she was just being polite. The chatter continued but none of it affected Teddy at the slightest, he was too busy staring at the one person who didn't want to look at him.

Eventually, dinner was finished and while Harry and Ginny left to go upstairs, all the kids stayed downstairs. James had suggested they play exploding snaps. Lily pulled Victoire along while Teddy reluctantly followed. He really wanted to get Victoire alone and tell her he was sorry for the argument but it seemed like Lily didn't want to leave her older cousin alone.

After many rounds of exploding snaps, James got bored and went upstairs. Soon Albus followed and it was just Lily, Victoire and himself. "I'll see you upstairs Vicky," Lily said before taking off. Victoire nodded with a cringe before looking down again. Teddy smiled to himself; he knew how she didn't like to be called that and the only person who was allowed to was Ginny. It seemed that Lily had taken her mother's nickname for Victoire.

"Night Teddy," Lily said, bringing him out of his daze. Teddy smiled and bid her goodnight.

"So, you're staying for the night?" Teddy asked for lack of a better thing to say. Victoire nodded but stayed silent. She seemed awfully interested in her nail and refused to look him in the eye.

After some time had passed with neither of them saying or doing a thing, Teddy finally spoke. "Look Vic, I'm really sorry about the argument we had. I didn't mean to get so angry but I just don't trust that guy."

And for once tonight, Victoire didn't just nodded and stay silent, she chuckled. Teddy thought it might have been a good sign until she spoke. "I guess I just can't seem to find any trustworthy guys, huh," she replied in a cryptically sad voice before she stood and walked past him and up the stairs.

Teddy sat on the floor dumbstruck, what had she meant by that last line. Did she not trust him for some reason? And as if a switch were turned on again, Teddy suddenly felt himself growing angry. Victoire hadn't spoken a word to him since this afternoon but the one time she did, she accused him of being untrustworthy. Sure she didn't exactly outright say he was but he knew her enough to know that that was what she was implying. If anything, she was the untrustworthy one, hanging out with her ex boyfriend more then she did with her own boyfriend.

Teddy was just trying to protect her from getting hurt again. And then it dawned on him that he did just the opposite of what he wanted to do. He had hurt her, by not trusting her. But the one thing he still didn't understand was why she was back in England. Teddy sighed and shook his head before giving up for the night.

_**Victoire's POV**_

When Victoire entered Lily's bedroom, she saw that her cousin had already fallen asleep. Carefully so as to not wake her up, Victoire tip toed across the room and changed into her pajamas. She slowly lowered herself onto the mattress that was laid out for her. Her Aunt Ginny had practically forced her to stay over after learning that she was planning on staying in the hotel for the rest of the trip. "Why are you staying at a hotel when you have plenty of family here, no, you'll stay with us," Ginny had said. Victoire smiled at the thought, her aunt was a lot like her Nana, even though Ginny would never admit it.

Victoire stayed awake for a bit longer before she heard footsteps coming up the stairs. She suddenly froze, she was sure it was Teddy and although he couldn't see her, she still felt like she had to freeze. Victoire continued to grasp her cover, his footsteps inching closer and closer to her door.

She couldn't see where he was behind the door but she was almost sure that he had stopped right in front of her door. His steps had gotten louder and louder before it became silent. Victoire didn't know why but she strained her ears to hear what he was doing. Slowly, she began to hear his breathing from behind the door. Her heartbeat became irregular and suddenly found herself holding onto the blanket even tighter.

Then came a slight knock on the door, Victoire was sure she wouldn't have heard it if she wasn't straining because it sounded like he wasn't sure he wanted to knock. It sounded like he had intended to knock on the door only to stop halfway. Victoire laid on the bed, listening for a possible second knock but it never came. She waited until she heard his footsteps again, continue down the hall before a door opened and closed. Victoire finally let out her breathe and released the covers. She didn't know why but part of her wanted to hear the second knock even though she was still angry with him. But he didn't; he just gave up, which made Victoire feel even worse.

* * *

The next morning, Victoire woke up to a pair of brown eyes staring down on her. She slowly opened her eyes before realizing she had slept over at the Potter's house. Her cousin Lily was currently looking over Victoire with mischievous eyes. She knew that the older Potters were usually the known troublemakers but what most people didn't know was that the youngest Potter was also trouble. Suddenly, Victoire felt uneasy having her cousin here.

"Morning Vicky," Lily exclaimed.

Victoire rolled her eyes slightly; Lily knew how much Victoire hated that nickname. "Morning Lils," Victoire replied.

When Victoire was finally awake, she sat up and swung her legs over the bed. Lily still hadn't budged and was staring at her with puppy dog eyes. "What Lily?" Victoire asked, tired of the guessing games.

"Can you cover for me?" Lily asked in the sweetest voice possible. Victoire thought if it were anyone else who wasn't part of the family, they would have jumped off a cliff if Lily Potter had asked them to.

Victoire just stared at Lily, silently asking to explain herself. "Well Mum and Dad are at work. James and Al are out," Lily said.

"And?" Victoire asked with a raised eyebrow.

"And Mum told me to ask you if you could watch me for today. I told her I'm almost an adult but she wouldn't listen. And I promised Colin I would meet him today," Lily blurted out.

"Colin?" Victoire asked. She had a feeling where this was going but she was going to make Lily as uncomfortable as possible; payback for calling her Vicky.

"He's my boyfriend," Lily replied shyly. "And Mum and Dad don't know yet so you can't tell anyone!"

Victoire started laughing before Lily swatted her in the arm and crossed her own arms. "I don't want to lie to your parents Lil," Victoire replied.

"You won't. I will probably be back before they do but just in case, tell them I'm out with Jenna, they'll understand," Lily pleaded.

"But I thought you said you were going to be with Colin," Victoire joked which earned her another smack in the arm.

"Ow, okay okay, no need to get violent," Victoire gave in.

Lily smiled and gave Victoire a tight squeeze, "Thanks Vicky!" Victoire rolled her eyes but couldn't help but laugh at the younger girl's persistence.

* * *

"Mum left you and Teddy some breakfast, it's in the kitchen," Lily shouted before leaving. And before Victoire had a chance to reply or remember that she and Teddy were in the same house, panic set in.

Victoire had forgotten to take into account that covering for Lily meant that she was going to be alone in the house with Teddy. And she couldn't necessarily leave either, in case her aunt or uncle popped in unexpectedly and found their youngest daughter missing. Victoire wouldn't be in trouble per say but she was sure Lily would never forgive her. She sighed, knowing there was little she could do about it now. Maybe she could just stay in Lily's room and hide there until everyone came home. Maybe he'd take one look around the house and realize everyone was gone so he would leave as well. But before Victoire could do anything, his voice had cut through her thoughts. "Vic?" Teddy asked.

She stood frozen at her spot, refusing to turn around and hoping that it wasn't him so she could proceed to run up the stairs. But there was no such luck, she could hear him approaching her and when he was close enough, she could hear his breathing. When he bought his hand up and placed it on her shoulders, she could feel the slight tingle that surged through her body.

Victoire suddenly stopped. She couldn't let her body betray her; she couldn't just give in to his touches. Teddy had hurt her when he promised that he would keep her safe. She could get over the jealous arguments that led them to breaking up initially; what she couldn't forget was the kiss she saw him share with another girl, just hours after their break up. It was almost cruel how fast he had moved on, and to think, she came running back to England to apologize. All of these thoughts had finally registered and instantly, she pushed his hand away and turned around to face him.

"Do I have a sign on my head that says, 'Practice girlfriend'?" Victoire exclaimed.

"What?" Teddy asked in a confused tone.

"Well apparently, I wasn't the one for Leon, or for Luke. And I thought that maybe I was done with being second best when we got together, but it would seem as if I was just another passing girl to you," Victoire replied acidly.

Victoire saw Teddy's fist clench. "How could you say that you don't mean anything to me? I told you I love you didn't I? Vic, you mean everything to me," Teddy yelled.

And although his words should have made Victoire cry in happiness, it only made her angrier that he had kissed another girl. If she had meant so much to him, why didn't he come after her? Instead, she was the one to go after him, only to find him snogging another girl. "Well it sure didn't seem like it when you were snogging that girl right after we broke up!"

At first Teddy furrowed his brow before realization set upon him. And the look on his face told her that he had finally figured it out. "That's what I thought," she said in a monotone voice before pushing past him and up the stairs. She didn't let him reply, she didn't need it, it was written perfectly clear on his face.


	34. Wipe Your Eyes

******************************************************************************A/N: I've officially crossed the 100k words mark! It's crazy, I never thought I would get to this point.  
**

******************************************************************************Disclaimer: JK Rowling owns Harry Potter.**

**Chapter 34**

Over the last few months, Victoire was in the process of expanding her brand once again. She felt it was time settle down in England and return to her roots. She had long decided that she would spend the rest of her life in England and now that her career had finally balanced itself, she was going to take the break. However, it wasn't as easy as settling in America, without the help of Millicent, Victoire had to do a lot of things she hadn't done the first time around.

However, even though her career was doing as good as ever, her social life wasn't. Victoire still hadn't spoken to Millicent since the last time she visited France. She had also started moving on from Teddy; it was no use sulking over the past, she had learned that the hard way during her first breakup with Leon. She just hoped that one day, they could be friends again.

That's not to say that it was easy getting over Teddy. Victoire thought that he might have been the one, although she tended to think that a lot; she was use to wearing her heart on her sleeves. She thought she knew him but in the end, their distance apart finally caught on. Victoire could no longer pretend that they knew each other like they used to, people change.

In an effort to move on, she actually agreed to go out on a date with a man who was part of the group of businessmen who were helping her make the transition to England. His name was Danny and they had met over a meeting. Initially, Victoire had almost declined his offer but then she remembered that she was going to change the way she did things and in an effort to forget about Teddy, she agreed.

Here she was, currently sitting across a man she barely knew and sharing a few drinks. Danny was a nice looking chap, he had a stable job, he was English, Victoire reasoned; but the more she thought about it, the more he seemed off. It was almost as if he was too perfect. She was afraid she was going to have to make an excuse to cut the date short but she needn't worry.

Strutting to their table was a woman with wavy auburn hair parted to the side, her chestnut brown eyes glittering as she eyed Victoire's date. And even though a minute ago, Victoire was thinking of ditching Danny, everything changed. For it wasn't just any girl that was walking towards them, it was the same one that had her filthy lips on Teddy the night Victoire came after him.

Victoire suddenly felt her fist clench, her lips twitching slightly as the girl reached their table. She smiled at Victoire before looking at Danny. When Victoire finally looked over at Danny, she noticed that he was smiling at the girl. "Ahem," Victoire interrupted, not liking the fact that she was being ignored in the silent conversation that was occurring between Danny and the woman.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I'm Kenzie, Danny's ex," the woman introduced herself in a sickly sweet voice.

"I'm Victoire, Danny's _date,_" Victoire made sure to emphasize the date part. Not that she was planning on seeing him again; it was the principle that counted.

Danny chuckled, "What's going on Kenzie?" Victoire didn't ask Danny why he seemed so friendly with his ex because she was in no position to talk. In fact, it was her friendship with her ex that broke up her relationship with Teddy.

Kenzie immediately faced Danny and batted her eyelashes while subtly moving her hips towards him. And even though Danny might have been unaware of her advances, Victoire knew what was going on.

"Oh nothing much Danny, I was just wondering if you want to have drinks later," Kenzie replied.

Danny gave an apologetic smile, "Sorry Kenz, I'm busy."

"Yeah _Kenz_, he's busy. And don't you have a boyfriend to get back to?" Victoire said, not waiting for Kenzie to reply. She was sure she said a bit too much but at this point, she had had enough of Kenzie's obvious antics. She had already taken Teddy from her, there was no way Victoire was letting her stake her claim again.

Kenzie snapped her head towards Victoire, her eyes sharply taking in Victoire. "Excuse me?" she asked. At this point, Danny had excused himself. Smart man he was to avoid the fury of two women.

Victoire stood up, towering over the other woman, "What, is Teddy not good enough for you that you have to continue flirting with other guys who are obviously not available?"

"Teddy?" Kenzie asked dumbfounded.

Victoire was beginning to lose her patience, how thick could this girl get. "Yes Teddy, as in Teddy Lupin?"

Kenzie suddenly smirked. "Oh Ted," she said in an exaggerated tone. Victoire waited impatiently for the woman to continue.

"He's an ex, total bore. Why would you think there was something going on between us?" Kenzie asked.

Victoire's face grew red, "Because I saw you snogging him months ago at the Leaky!"

"Now that I did. Fit bloke he is, but wouldn't do anything except to mope about some breakup. Gosh, if I knew he was such a pansy, I wouldn't have snogged him. Although, I have to admit, it was a good snog," Kenzie continue, seemingly lost in her own thoughts.

She suddenly looked at Victoire again, "What does all that have to do with you?"

However, Victoire couldn't retort. She stood there speechless having heard what Kenzie just said. She had been wrong, Teddy didn't just move on from their relationship. He was hurting and that bitch managed to get him when he was vulnerable. Victoire was beyond angry but she didn't have time to deal with Kenzie right now, she had to gather her thoughts. Victoire left the restaurant without another word.

_**Olivia's POV**_

In an attempt to fix her life and return it to normal, she had settled for taking Clark back. It wasn't the easiest of months, Clark trusted Olivia as much as she trusted him but it wasn't the same. They were only together for the sake of marriage and in part for Andy. Andy needed balance in his life and Clark provided that. He had been there for the first few years of her son's life and treated him like his own. Although the same couldn't be said anymore, Olivia noticed that Clark also started growing distant with Andy. She no longer asked him to wake up in the middle of the night to check Andy when he cried. She knew that looking at Andy only caused him more pain.

Clark had been away for a business trip this week so Olivia was alone with Andy. It was that time of year for her to bring Andy in for a check up so they arrived at St. Mungos in the afternoon. They were about to leave when a group of healers exploded through the front door, wheeling someone on the cot. Olivia thought little of it but when she glanced for a second toward the person on the bed, her heart stopped.

"Mummy, can I go to Gran's house later?" Andy asked, interrupting Olivia's thoughts.

Olivia snapped her head to look at Andy and tried to put on a happy face, "Of course sweetheart."

"What's wrong Mummy?" Andy asked, noticing that his Mum's face had changed dramatically.

"Nothing Andy. Come on, I'll take you to Gran's right now. I'm sure she and Granddad be happy to see you," Olivia offered. Andy seemed convinced and immediately forgot about his mother's distressed face and started clapping.

After Olivia dropped Andy off at her Mum's house, she immediately apparated back to St. Mungos. She rushed toward the reception desk and asked the lady for information on the person that she had seen wheeled into the hospital just before.

"I'm sorry Mrs. White, but that is private information. Are you related to Mr. Taylor?" the receptionist asked.

"Yes! He's my son's father!" Olivia blurted. The receptionist looked at her with shocked eyes before telling Olivia which floor Luke had been sent to. As Olivia took off, she heard the receptionist gossiping with several nurses. She sighed; it was probably a surprise to all of them that the famous Luke Taylor had fathered a child.

When Olivia reached the floor, she waited until a healer walked through the doors. She immediately shot up and chased after him. "Excuse me Healer, could you tell me what's wrong with Luke Taylor?"

"Mr. Taylor will be fine, just a minor concussion after he took a fall from his broomstick. He'll be out in a day," the Healer responded.

Olivia sighed in relief. "Can I go in and see him?"

"Well Mr. Taylor is currently resting but I guess it wouldn't hurt. Don't take too long though," the Healer smiled before walking off.

Olivia nodded before walking into the stark white room. She proceeded to the bed that Luke was resting on. When she saw him lying on the bed motionless, his head bandaged up, his chest rising ever so often; she started to cry.

She grasped his hand in her own and placed it on her forehead. She stayed like that until she felt her eyes growing heavy before her head eventually fell onto the bed.

The next time Olivia woke up, she felt someone shake her shoulders. As she picked up her head, she noticed the blanket that was draped over her. When she turned to face the person who was shaking her, she smiled.

_**Luke's POV**_

"I was getting worried you might have black out as well," Luke said cheekily.

Suddenly, tears began falling down Olivia's cheeks as she stared at him. The next thing he knew, she stood up and started slapping him.

"Oi! I'm injured here," Luke responded before he finally managed to get ahold of her wrists and stopped the attack. He held her wrists in a firm grip before he felt that she was no longer tense. He slowly lessened his hold and watched her sadly as the tears continued to fall.

But before he could do anything about it, she leapt into his arms and embraced him. He felt her tears staining his hospital gown but at the moment, he could care less. When Olivia finally got ahold of herself, he felt her pulling away. She sat at the edge of the bed smiling at him while she ran her fingers over his injured head.

Luke reached up to wipe the tears away with his thumb, her skin soft underneath contrasting with his callous hands before he felt a chuckled leave her. "You're such a prat."

Luke gave her a smirk. "You can't keep doing this to me, my heart can't handle it," she whispered.

Slowly, Luke pulled himself up, bringing his face closer and closer to hers. They were only inches away but she didn't pull back. Luke didn't wait for anything else, he crashed his lips onto hers and before he knew it, it was as if life itself had ended. When they finally had to pull apart, Luke smiled as their foreheads touched.

"You okay?" Luke asked.

"I am," Olivia answered.

"Good, cause I'm going to kiss you again," Luke said before moving in on her lips again. This time, she responded with more fervor and didn't stop until they had to breathe.

_**Olivia's POV**_

"I think the nurses are having a field day; I told them you had a son," Olivia said as she laid against Luke's chest, her hands over his which rested around her waist.

She felt him chuckled because snuggling his face between her shoulder and ear, "Well, at least it wasn't a lie."

Olivia eased into his body as he continued to brush his face against hers. They stay like this for a while, her occasionally reaching her hand up and running her hand through his hair. She enjoyed the silence, she felt safe.

Suddenly, he turned her until she was facing him. He cupped her cheek with his hand, her soft skin contrasting with his callous hand. "I love you," Luke said.

Olivia placed her hand over his and closed her eyes as she leaned against his hand. When she opened her eyes, she smiled at him. "I love you too."


	35. A Healed Friendship

**********************************************************************************Disclaimer: JK Rowling owns Harry Potter.**

**Chapter 35 **

Victoire finally gave in; she couldn't do this without Millicent anymore. She needed her friend more than ever right now and even though it had been months since they last talked, Victoire decided that ultimately it was her friend's choice to love who she wanted to loved. She knew first hand you couldn't choose who to love and if Millicent did indeed fall in love with Leon that she would support her friend.

Slowly, Victoire picked up her phone and dialed the string of numbers that would connect her with Millicent. She waited for the ring but one never came. Again, Victoire urgently dialed the number, this time, making sure all the buttons were pressed in the correct order. Once again, there was no one that picked up the phone. Victoire furrowed her brow until she remembered she could call Leon since there was a big possibility that her friend might have already moved in with him. She quickly dialed Leon's number and waited.

After a few rings, Leon had picked up. Victoire breathed a sigh of relief, "Leon, it's Victoire."

On the other end, Leon seemed surprised that she had called him but managed to exchange some pleasantries. "Listen Leon, can I speak with Millie?"

"Millicent is not here. She did not come find you afterwards?" Leon asked.

Confused, Victoire asked Leon what he meant. "I mean, zat Millicent has not been here for months, she left soon after you did. Back to America," he responded.

"She never told me," Victoire exclaimed, surprised that Millicent didn't stay with Leon.

"Oui, I told her zat she does not what zis. She only feels zis why because she was hurting. After a week, she realizes zat I am right and she left," Leon finishes.

Although Victoire was still shocked at Millicent's situation, she was even more shocked about Leon's actions. Never in a million years would she have guessed that he would be the one to change Millicent's mind. But she knew now how much he had changed and she smiled into the phone. "Merci beaucoup Leon," Victoire said and with that, hung up.

* * *

Victoire showed up into front of Millicent's flat that she shared with Kevin. She crossed her fingers that they were still together and that her friend would be home. Victoire drew her breath and knocked three times before waiting to hear any movement from behind the door. And although it was slow, she heard the footsteps that approached the doorway.

It wasn't long before the door swung open to reveal a content looking Millicent. It took a moment for her friend to realize who she was but when she saw that it was Victoire, she gave her a nervous smile. But Victoire didn't wait for anything; she immediately stepped forward and embraced Millicent. It didn't take long for Millicent to do the same, "I've missed you Millie."

After Millicent led Victoire into the living room, the two got to talking like old times. "I'm really sorry about everything that happened, I was a mess," Millicent started.

Victoire shook her head, "No Millie, I'm sorry. You were in a bad place and instead of trying to help you through it and realize that you weren't acting like yourself, I just left."

"Well, I'm glad we're okay now," Millicent said as she placed her hand on Victoire.

Victoire smiled, seemingly glad that she had restored her own friendship so easily. She then remembered why she came in the first place and suddenly felt bad that she only came to seek her friend when she was feeling bad herself. But Millicent didn't quite see it that way and was more then willing to listen to what Victoire had to say and even spoke up first, "So how's Ted?"

Victoire looked down into her palms, "Teddy and I aren't together anymore."

Millicent let out a shocked gasp, "What happened?

"Well we had an argument and one thing led to another. We were both angry and in the heat of the moment, I ended it," Victoire said.

Millicent looked at Victoire, egging her on to continue. "When I realized I'd made a mistake, I went after him, after Luke told me he was in England."

"I guess Luke isn't a bad guy after all," Millicent chimed in.

Victoire nodded, "I followed him and found him in the Leaky Cauldron. I was going to apologize and take back everything I said but when I got there, he was already snogging another girl." Millicent immediately started to protest on her behalf but Victoire waved her off.

"I thought that too in the beginning, how could he just forget about what we had so quickly and move on. We even stay at my Uncle Harry's house but I didn't want to listen to anything he said. And he didn't try to tell me anything afterwards either. So I just left," Victoire said.

"So what made you change you mind?" Millicent asked.

"Well that leads me to my other news. You know that I want to settle in England. And I decided it was finally time to expand again and this time to England where I plan to permanently stay. I was moving on. So when a guy asked me out on a date, I accepted. But long and behold, during my date, the same girl that Teddy was snogging interrupted it," Victoire said.

"Tell me you punched that girl in the face," Millicent said excitedly.

Victoire chuckled sadly, "No, I didn't. But she did tell me what had actually gone on that night when I saw her and Teddy snogging. It turns out, she was the one who snogged him and I guess I was just at the wrong place at the wrong time. Teddy didn't hook up with her." As she said this, Victoire started tearing up.

Millicent jumped to sit next to Victoire, "It's okay honey, you didn't know."

"But I never let him explain himself, I just assumed everything. I yelled at him for not trusting me but I didn't even trust him," Victoire sobbed.

"So tell him now," Millicent suddenly said.

Victoire looked up, "Do you really think we can be together after everything?"

"I think so," Millicent shrugged.

Victoire smiled and suddenly remembered her other part of the news. "Millie, come back and work for me, I can't do this move without you. You're my best friend and I would really love it if you came to England with me."

Millicent smiled, "I appreciate that Vic. But I've decided that I want to spend the rest of my life making up to Kevin for what I did. I need to stay in New York, this time; I need to be here for him. I've put him through so much and he's been nothing but patient with him. So sorry but I cannot go with you to England. But I would really appreciate it if I could stay in the New York branch."

Victoire shook her head, "No of course, I understand. And yes, you can come back to work anything. I'm just glad I have you back."

* * *

When Victoire was finished with Millicent, she immediately apparated to the newspaper office building, hoping to find Teddy. However, when she got to his office, she was sorely disappointed. Caleb, who she had slowly come to be acquainted with over the few times she's met him, spotted her as she was about to leave. "Vic, is that you?"

Victoire swirled around and saw that it was Teddy's friend. "Caleb, do you know where Teddy is?"

"Afraid not," Caleb answered.

Victoire furrowed her brow, "Well do you know when he'll be in?"

"Actually, Ted doesn't work here anything. He stopped working a few months ago and said he was going to travel around the world and report," Caleb answered.

"What?" Victoire exclaimed.

"Yeah well his contract ended and when he was asked if he wanted to continue, he said that he was going to explore the world," Caleb responded.

"Do you know if he'll be back or have any contact information?" Victoire asked.

Caleb shook his head, "I'm sorry but I don't know anything else. He didn't bother leaving any contacts because he wouldn't stay in the same place for long. He told me he would write if anything came up but really, he just wanted to get out there and _forget_."

Victoire nodded her head sadly; this was all because of her. Caleb seemed to have picked this up, "Listen Vic, it's not your fault. He told me all about it and he blames himself." Victoire had nothing else to say to this so she thanked Caleb quietly and left without another word.

_**Teddy's POV**_

It had been months and everything Teddy wanted to go to Victoire and explain himself; he would remember how hurt her face had looked. And everytime, he would let it go, she didn't want him and there was nothing he could do about it. So when the time came for him to decide what he wanted to do once his contract ended, he decided to do what he had always wanted to do. Teddy packed up his bags and set out for the world. There was an abundance of knowledge to be gained and Teddy was sure that if he stuffed his brain with enough information, then it would help him forget Victoire.

He had told Caleb of his plans after telling him about his break up with Victoire. His friend said that she would come around but Teddy didn't believe it; he had messed up badly. Teddy left soon after. So far, he had traveled up to Canada for a while, before going back into the States in the west. Soon, he took off to South America where he stayed with a family. Teddy was grateful for some shelter and even helped out the family when he wasn't explore and looking for news.

After exploring the vast jungles of South America, he headed to the familiar continent of Europe. But to say it felt like home was anything but, for he didn't travel to England, he went to the Eastern European countries like Romania and Hungary. All in all, his quest for knowledge and news had been quenched, but unfortunately, the broken heart had yet to mend. But Teddy pushed forward and he continued to travel, never staying in one place for too long. He didn't think anyone needed to know where he was and frankly, he liked the feeling of being nomadic, a nice contract the concrete jungle that was New York.

* * *

It wouldn't be months later when Teddy received a letter from Caleb that required him to return to the steely city. Teddy had finally settled a little in Germany and decided to mail his friend to see how everything was going. When Caleb replied, it just so happened that his friend had gotten engaged and was planning on getting married. Caleb expressed how happy he was that Teddy actually sent a letter just in time. His friend had asked him to return to New York to be his best man. Teddy accepted.

"I can't believe you're actually back. How's the world treating you?" Caleb asked as they shopped for tuxedos.

Teddy smiled, "It's been really good, learned around actually."

Caleb laughed, "You're going to have to tell me every where you've gone."

"Sure," Teddy responded.

When the tailor finished with Caleb and let him go change, the man approached Teddy to adjust his suit. "So you're friend's getting married right?"

"Yup, I'm just the best man," Teddy responded.

"Well, I just need to adjust the pants, wouldn't want it falling down during the ceremony," the old man joked.

Teddy chuckled, "Yeah, I guess not."

_**Millicent's POV**_

Millicent had been shopping in the men's store for Kevin since the suit had gotten too small after a dry cleaning incident. Kevin didn't have time so Millicent volunteered to pick out a nice suit. She was currently looking at the rows of clothes when she heard a familiar voice. She suddenly froze before leaning her head slightly to take a look at who was talking.

She immediately recognized him, even though he didn't have his blue hair, she was sure he didn't want to draw any attention to muggles and so had his natural shaggy brown hair. He was smiling as the old tailor attended to his tuxedo. She didn't want to get to close in case he spotted her but Millicent was curious as to how Teddy was doing. However, she got more then what she bargained for, even though she hadn't heard everything, she heard enough. Or at least, she thought she did.

"So you're…getting married right?" she heard the tailor ask.

"Yup…" Teddy had respond, she heard him mumble something else but she didn't catch it.

"Well, I just need to adjust the pants, wouldn't want it falling down during the ceremony," the tailor joked.

Millicent heard Teddy chuckle, "Yeah, I guess not." And she didn't stay to hear the rest; she knew she needed to inform Victoire of what was happening. Kevin's suit could wait.

Millicent knew when Victoire returned to her flat some months ago with a defeated look that something bad had happened. Victoire had told her that Teddy had left and there was no way of contacting him. She even blamed herself because Teddy's friend had insinuated that Teddy just wanted to forget everything. She knew her friend was heartbroken and had genuinely wanted to talk to Teddy to straighten things out. After a few months, Victoire had eventually given up, but Millicent never did.

Still, she knew that they were meant to be. And there was no way she was letting Teddy walk down the aisle without trying to stop him first. Millicent apparated to the office as soon as she was out of sight and barged into Victoire's room.

"Millie, what's wrong?" Victoire asked with a confused look.

"Teddy…married…stop…him," Millicent choked out, she was slightly out of breath from rushing back.

"What about Teddy?" Victoire asked.

Millicent paused and waited to catch her breath this time. "Teddy's getting married, you have to stop him Vic. He's back in New York, tell him you want him back!"

Victoire wrinkled her nose before looking down, "Oh."

"Oh? Is that all you're going to say? He's getting bloody married for fuck's sake Victoire, do something!" Millicent shouted.

"What's there to do, he's moved on," Victoire said in a dead voice.

Millicent had had enough of her friend's moping and marched over to her side and pulled her up, "Come on, you're going to tell him."

"No," Victoire responded, this time with more command. Before she found herself losing the authoritative voice. "Just no Millie, please let it go," Victoire whispered.

**A/N: Next is the last chapter. Hope you've enjoyed!**


	36. Don't Think, Just Do

**************************************************************************************Disclaimer: JK Rowling owns Harry Potter.**

**Chapter 36 **

When Teddy first told his family about traveling around the world to continue his career, Harry made him promise one thing, to spend his Christmas back in England with the rest of the family. Teddy had promised Harry that he would return no matter what and this is how he came to trudging along the abandoned road leading up to the Burrows. The snow had piled up by a foot and Teddy was just lucky he was a tall bloke. When the door swung open revealing James, Teddy smiled before pulling him in for a headlock.

"Look who I found," James shouted cheekily to the rest of the family. Every head turned to face Teddy and soon enough the whole family came rushing to greet him. This was how Christmas was in the Weasley-Potter family.

"Oh Teddy dear, so good to have you home for Christmas," Ginny eventually said.

Teddy smiled, "I promised I would be back."

For the rest of the afternoon, the present members asked Teddy about his worldly travels and how his career was going. Teddy entertained them with stories, some adventurous, and some just plain boring. Most of the family was so engrossed in Teddy's stories that they didn't even notice the recent additions. Rose had arrived with Scorpius hand in hand and Teddy could see the strained face of Ron who was sitting in the corner. Although they had been together for quite some time, it would seem like Ron never really got use to the fact that his only daughter was dating his enemy's son.

Teddy hugged Rose and then shook Scorpius' hand before the two listened in on Teddy's stories. After he was done, he was starving so he stood up and walked into the kitchen where Ginny was currently whipping up the last of the foods. "Ginny, when can we eat? I'm starving," Teddy exaggerated.

Ginny chuckled, "Almost done. We just have to wait for one more person."

Teddy scrunched his face, had he left anyone out? No, there was the Potters, Arthur and Molly Weasley, George's family, Percy's family, Ron and Hermione along with Rose and Scorpius. Hugo he knew was busy with Uncle Charlie along with Louis in Romania. However, when he thought of Louis, he suddenly remembered the other family that was almost always lacking during these holidays, ever since their move. Teddy guessed that Bill and Fleur would probably not be coming along with Dominique who was all in France. This only left one person, Victoire.

Teddy gulped. He hadn't seen Victoire since the last time they were at the Potter's house together. Over his travels, he had wanted to forget out her but he realized that he couldn't. And so when he was planning on coming for Christmas, he had thought about everything he was going to do the next time he saw her. He was planning on visiting the States after Christmas for a while, and planned on seeing her there. But it would seem that he wouldn't need to travel after all.

And before Teddy could ask Ginny to confirm his suspicions, she had arrived. Teddy knew because at that moment, he heard the family rejoice once again, signaling the new arrival. He saw that Ginny also exited the kitchen to greet her favorite niece but not before giving Teddy a wink.

Teddy slowly pushed the kitchen door open and soon, everyone's attention was back on him. He was really starting to hate the fact that he was getting so much attention. However, this time he didn't mind so much, because he was only staring at one person and she was staring at him. At that moment, Teddy wasn't sure if they were at the Burrows anymore because surely, that meant that he would notice everyone else around them.

Luckily for Teddy, James started speaking again and the crowd was back to chattering with each other. He however noticed that Victoire had excused herself from her cousins Lily and Rose and headed towards the bathroom. Soon, Molly Weasley had called the herd to the dinning room since everyone was finally here. Teddy watched as the family all ran towards the food but he just stood there; until he thought no more and just did.

_**Victoire's POV**_

Victoire was attending the Christmas get together in the Burrow for the first time in a long time. And since this year, she was back in England to stay; there was no doubt that she would be joining the rest of her family. Victoire had no idea that Teddy was going to be there as well. She assumed that he would still be traveling the world. But he obviously wasn't, because he was currently standing in front of her with his easy smile and his silly blue hair.

When James decided the silence was no fun, Victoire thanked her lucky stars that there was a distraction and soon distanced herself from her cousins to go to the bathroom. She ran into the room and closed the door; she couldn't deal with it right now. Victoire thought she had gotten over him but one look after all this time and all the feelings came rushing in. She started to laugh, of course she would never forget about Teddy. Her friendship with him was a testament in itself, having survived over a decade without contact.

Victoire must have been laughing for quite some time because she hadn't noticed someone knocking on the door calling her name. Hearing his voice flow through the door crack suddenly made the tears fall again. He wasn't hers anymore and never will be. She was too late and now, all she could do to regret the day she let him go. Victoire tiredly clicked the lock open and opened the door. She was sitting on the toilet with the cover down, her knees bent towards each other like they were broken. She covered her face with her hands to hide the tearstains that were steadily flowing from her eyes.

When she realized it was silly of her to be acting like this, and that she should be congratulating him on his marriage, she stood up and plastered a smile onto her face. But before she could utter a word, he had taken her back the head and crashed his lips onto hers. Victoire didn't think, she just did. She eased herself into him and it felt so natural, however, she soon came to her senses and pulled back.

Victoire looked away from him and felt the tears rolling down again. "It's too late Teddy," Victoire whispered. She waited for him to leave but he didn't. Victoire decided to chance a glance at him; he was probably looking really guilty right now. However, when she saw him, she didn't see guilt, she saw disappointment.

"I'm sorry, I should have asked if you were with someone," he muttered as he stuffed his hands into his pockets.

Victoire furrowed her brow, "I'm not with anyone."

Teddy immediately looked up with a smile but soon turned into confusion, "So why can't we?"

"Because you're married," Victoire said, now with a slight hint of anger, how could he be so dense she wondered.

"What? Married? No," he responded, equally flabbergasted.

"But, Millie said she saw you in the tuxedo store saying how you were getting married," Victoire said.

Teddy furrowed his brow before his face lightened up. "No, that was Caleb, I was his best man," Teddy chuckled.

Victoire suddenly felt her cheeks warming up in embarrassment in the whole misunderstanding," Oh."

"You actually asked Millicent to spy on me," Teddy joked as Victoire felt his hand cup her cheek.

Victoire was about to protest Teddy was quicker, he pulled her violently in for another kiss and this time, she didn't fight it and welcomed his aggressiveness. When they finally had to part to breathe, he rested his forehead on hers. "I should have done that a long time ago."

Victoire closed her eyes as she tried to catch her breath and take in his scent, "What took you so long?"

"I didn't know if you still wanted to be with me. I know I made a mistake and then that kiss, it didn't," Teddy started but this time, he was the one who was cut off because Victoire had once again kissed him.

After another round of snogging, she pulled away, "That's the past." Teddy smiled at her but they were soon interrupted with a chatter of whispers coming from the corner. Teddy had shot his head to see what the commotion was while Victoire peeked through the door. And when she noticed the many heads of her cousins and family, she started to blush. She hoped that none of them had seen the entire exchange between her and Teddy.

_**1 Year Later**_

It was an extravagant wedding; there were ice sculptures of every possible animal in the vicinity of the reception area. The actually wedding was over along with the vow and ring exchanges. All in all, it was the perfect wedding. The bride was dressed in a beautiful yet simple white dress while the groom stood at the front of the altar staring proudly at his family and friends.

When the reception began, everyone spread themselves out. Some rushed to the buffet table while others lingered around the bar. But the lot of them had stepped onto the dance floor to sway to their partners during a particularly slow number. Victoire had forced Teddy to dance with her saying that it was tradition so he stood and let her lead them to the floor. Victoire instinctively reached her arms around his neck and leaned her head against his chest while he clung to her waist.

While Victoire was happily leaning into his chest, Teddy took a moment to glance around the room at all the happy couples that were dancing with them. Most notably were his best friends from Hogwarts, Luke and Olivia. He watched as Olivia's white dress draped onto the floor and swayed along with her hips as Luke held her.

It had been a year ago that Teddy found out his best friends were finally going to be together. Luke had told him that he proposed to Olivia right after her divorce from Clark was finalized and Olivia didn't hesitate for a second. An hour ago, Teddy watched his friends create a lasting bond as he stood by Luke's side as his best man.

Teddy knew that Luke only had eyes on Olivia at that moment. When Teddy looked back at Victoire, he noticed that she was staring at him with her icy blue eyes, the ones that had mesmerized him more times than he could count. And in that moment, he knew, that like Luke, he only had eyes for one person and that was Victoire. Teddy knew he would never be able to live without her and he knew what he wanted, he'd always known, it just took some hurdles for him pass to get to this point.

"Will you marry me Vic?" Teddy whispered into her ear.

Teddy felt her tense but it wasn't cold. He felt her heart pounding against his own and he knew her answer.

"Yes," Victoire answered before reaching up to plant a kiss on Teddy.

**A/N: The End! Ah, I can't believe I finished this story. I was a bit sad that it was finally ending because this has been my project for the past few months and I can't imagine how I will be to start from scratch again. But I'm also happy that I managed to finish this story because I'm itching to start my new fic. I want to thank all of my wonderful readers, especially those who commented and reviewed. Thank you so much, you gave me encouragement when I needed it and I don't think I could have finished this story without it. And as a last favor, I would love it if you guys reviewed this story as a whole now that it's finished and to keep a look out for my new fic that will follow soon. It's not a sequel or prequel, it's a whole different T/V story. If you want to know a bit more, check out my profile.**


End file.
